Toad in the Hole Is a Cake! | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

Why does my toad in the hole look like a cake? ›

Our answer. The batter in a toad in the hole should rise up but will be airy and crisp rather than spongy or cakey. The flour should be plain (all-purpose) flour and not self-raising. However it is most likely that the batter isn't quite cooking properly due to the dish.

Getting your Yorkshires to rise:

Toad in the Hole needs a hot dish with plenty of oil. Using a metal baking tin and adding the batter quickly is recommended. Also, the dish needs to be large enough so that the batter can creep around the edges (at least 30cm x 25cm ideally).

Despite popular belief, there is no record of the dish ever being made with toad. The origin of the name is unclear, but it may refer to the way toads wait for their prey in their burrows, with their heads poking out, just as sausages peep through the batter.

What is the best baking tin for toad in the hole? A metal tin with fairly high sides is best because metal is a very efficient conductor of heat and getting the batter hot is essential for a good rise.

If your toad in the hole is soggy, it might be due to there being too many sausages in the tin. Try to make sure they're spaced far apart from each other to allow the batter to get crisp. Also, to make sure the Yorkshire pudding rises, don't be tempted to open the oven as it's cooking.

Toad in the hole #onthisday Ingredients - 1.5 cups flour - 1.5 cups eggs (about 7 eggs) - 1.5 cups milk - 0.5 tablespoon salt - 10 sausages (8 for the toad, 2 for the gravy) - 2 brown onions, sliced - 3 tbsp grapeseed oil - 50g unsalted butter - 50g flour - 500ml chicken stock - 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce - ...

The main idea is to put a shield (an empty baking dish) between the heat source (the bottom of the oven) and the dish you are baking. Rub the oil on the baking dish before heating it.

Make sure the the fat is really hot before you add the batter. Really, really hot oil. It has to be smoking as you pour the batter in. Don't, under any circ*mstances open the oven door during cooking or they will sink.

Whisk in the milk and eggs and salt. It doesn't matter if it's a bit lumpy. Put in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or overnight.

What do you serve with toad in the hole? ›

Toad-in-the-hole or sausage toad is a traditional English dish of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables.

Usually in America, toad in the hole refers to an egg cooked in the hole cut out of a piece of bread. But in England, it's sausages cooked in what is essentially Yorkshire pudding.

If your toad in the hole has more of a cakey consistency than the light and airy batter you're after, then it could be to do with the dish you're using. You might think a stoneware dish will work just as well but really a metal tin is needed to conduct enough heat for the batter to rise as required.

Another name you may hear used interchangeably with toad in the hole is eggs in a basket.

Underfed, newly acquired amphibians that are kept in poor-quality water or other less-than-ideal environmental conditions are particularly susceptible. Signs include lethargy; extreme thinness; open sores that do not heal on the skin, nose, and toes; and the characteristic reddening of the legs and abdomen.

Add a few live flies to the habitat. Their buzzing flight will get your toad's attention. A healthy toad is plump. If your toad is skinny, it isn't getting enough food.

Answer. Swollen individuals could be carrying eggs, have an infection that's caused them to take on water or have an intestinal blockage. Female amphibians become noticeably swollen with eggs in spring. This is natural and they normally return to a smaller size once they have spawned.

Toad toxin, a defensive mechanism, is secreted by large glands located dorsal and caudal to the eyes and by small glands distributed throughout the skin. The toxin, a thick, creamy white, highly irritating substance, can be expelled quickly by contraction of periglandular muscles in the skin.