Toad In The Hole

The sausage is a relative newcomer to the position of toad, the space having been previously reserved for any small pieces of meat that could be eked out with a bit of batter. Scraps of the Sunday roast, bits of cooked ham or pretty much anything you like have been used in place of the sausages, and never more so than after the war. Nowadays it's bangers or nothing. The recipe stands or falls by the quality of the sausage you use.

The Recipe

Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7. Whisk together 2 eggs and 300ml of full-fat milk. Add a good pinch of salt, then beat in 125g plain flour. Heat 3 tbsp of lard or dripping in a small roasting tin or baking dish until it starts to smoke. Add 6 fat pork sausages and let them colour on all sides then, while the oil and sausages are smoking hot, pour in the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden.

The Trick

Like making Yorkshire pudding, get the fat in the roasting tin (literally) smoking hot before adding the batter. I put the lightly cooked sausages in the pan first then pour in the batter when you can see a blue haze rising. I am a great believer in letting the batter rest before using, though others disagree.

The Twist

Nigella's adorable new book Kitchen (Chatto and Windus, £26) turns the toad on its head by using sausage patties, the meat pressed from its casing and shaped into tiny burgers. Delightful, especially if you season them with thyme. I often wrap my sausages, minus their skins, in very thin bacon or pancetta. Onion gravy is the usual accompaniment, but new thinking involves hot, rough-textured tomato sauce or even a creamy mustard one, such as you might serve with rabbit.

Pollack in beer batter

The beer adds lightness and flavour to the batter. Many recipes say to rest batter before using, but we had better, lighter, crispier results using it straight away, before the beer lost its bubbles. This is also a great way to prepare squid rings.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

200g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting the fish
Groundnut oil, including plenty for deep frying (about 2 litres)
About 290ml good beer (anything but cheap lager), very cold
Salt and ground black pepper
About 700g pollack fillets (or mixed white fish of your choice)

Sift the flour into a bowl, add two tablespoons of groundnut oil, then gradually whisk in the beer, stopping when you have the consistency of thick emulsion paint. Beat to get rid of any lumps, then season generously.

In a large, deep, heavy-based pan, heat the oil to 190C, or until a cube of bread dropped in turns golden brown in one and a half to two minutes. Season the fish, then dust lightly with flour, shaking to remove any excess. Immerse a piece of fish in the batter, then lift it out and hold over the bowl for a few seconds to let excess batter drop back in. Lower the fish into the hot oil a piece at a time if using large portions, or in small batches for smaller pieces. Fry large pieces of fish for four to five minutes, smaller ones such as squid rings for two minutes or so, until golden brown and crisp. Scoop out with a wire basket or tongs, and transfer to a warmed dish lined with kitchen paper. Keep warm while you fry the remaining fish, then serve