Toad and friends in the hole

serves 4

preparation time:

30 minutes

cooking time:
45 minutes

ingredients

16 bacon-wrapped chipolata sausages (pigs in blankets)
½ broccoli head, cut into small florets
10 baby sweetcorn
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tbsp sunflower oil

for the batter

100g (3½oz) The Co-operative plain flour
2 The Co-operative medium British free-range eggs
300ml (½ pint) The Co-operative British skimmed milk
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh parsley

method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 7/220ºC/fan 200ºC.

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs. Beat slightly, then gradually beat in half the milk to form a smooth thick batter. Stir in the remaining milk, rosemary and parsley, and season with salt and milled pepper. Set aside until required.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, blanch the broccoli and sweetcorn for 1 minute and drain.

Pop the sausages and red onions into an oven-proof dish roughly 20cm x 25cm (8in x 10in) and drizzle over the oil. Cook for 10 minutes, until they are just starting to brown.

Remove from the oven, add the broccoli and sweetcorn and pour over the batter. Return to the oven for about 35 minutes until the batter is crisp and well risen. Season with salt and milled black pepper and serve with fresh gravy.