Toad in the Hole

Sift 150 g of flour (out of 170 g total — reserve the remaining 20 g for the gravy) into a large bowl, add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Make a well in the centre, crack in 3 eggs and whisk, gradually drawing in the flour from the edges. Pour in 300 ml of milk in a thin steady stream, whisking continuously until you have a smooth batter with the consistency of thin cream. Stir in 2 tbsp thyme leaves, cover the bowl and let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Pour 3 tbsp oil into an ovenproof roasting dish about 30×22 cm and place it in the hot oven for 10 minutes, until the fat is sizzling hot and just starting to smoke.

In a dry frying pan over medium heat, brown 8 sausages for 5-6 minutes, turning to colour all sides golden (they should still be raw inside). Remove from the heat and brush each sausage with Dijon mustard (1 tbsp).

Take the sizzling-hot dish out of the oven and quickly arrange the hot sausages in it (the fat will spit, so work carefully). Immediately pour the batter around the sausages in a thin, even stream, filling the dish.

Return the dish to the oven straight away and bake for 25-28 minutes without opening the door once, until the batter has risen into tall golden domes, is crisp at the edges and fully cooked through in the centre.

While the dish bakes, make the onion gravy: melt 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add 2 onions sliced into half-rings and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden-caramelised. Stir in the remaining 20 g flour and cook for 1 minute.

Gradually pour in 300 ml beef stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.

Remove the toad in the hole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes without cutting. Divide into portions and serve immediately while hot, generously drizzled with the onion gravy.