Onion gravy made with sugar, red wine vinegar and beef stock - luverly stuff

I'm an onion gravy person too. Caramelised Onions, Thyme, little flour to thicken slightly, Red wine and Beef Stock.

I did watch the lovely Brian Turner making his Toad in the hole and gosh (dare I say this?) I prefer my puffy Toad in the hole, with the nicely browned sausages floating on a pillow of Yorkshire pud, with crispy, highly risen edges and the nice more soggy bit in the middle.

Does anyone know if it is traditional to have a flat affair as demonstrated last night? It looked a bit stodgy for my taste (profuse apologies Brian, but I do use the same recipe as your Granny by way of consolation).

Love Toad in the Hole!

... forgot to mention that I use arrowroot to thicken the gravy.

Unfortunately, and although we love toad-in-the-hole, having seen the November issue of New Scientist (what else can you do when sat in your dentist's waiting room for an hour?) TITH is going the way of room 101 in our house!

They have a picture of a plate of sausages with the caption: "cancer on a plate" in the November issue of NS.

I hate to admit it, but that article has haunted me ever since. If it was just me I would carry on eating sausages regardless, but for my son's sake I'm not prepared to take the chance that it's just another load of expert waffle that should be ignored - which is my gut reaction.

Sorry to put a cloud over such a tasty dish - but no doubt you have all seen the publicity this issue has got already, and undoubtedly there will be lots more.

I haven't seen all the publicity gastro. What nutritional information did the article give to back the sensational headline? Is it just the question of the fat? Mechanically extracted meat does not sound good. But surely a good quality Banger from the local butchers, in moderation, is not going to kill us.

Mind you, Chocolate sauce has been described as 'too dangerous' in one of the newspapers this morning. Glad I don't like it. Read on and you will find it is health and safety issue, from the possibility of 'take out' ice cream cones, dripping choc sauce on the floor of the shop!

Wasn't it something to do with the nitrates and salt in bacon and "some" sausages?

I'm not sure it really said anything more than we all knew already, but I could be wrong.


"... forgot to mention that I use arrowroot to thicken the gravy. "

Oh, more of a Jus than a gravy then? (says she with her most definate middle-class accent)

There is a link here posset - what I was reading was an update on the research mentioned here:-

[link]

The article I was reading in NS (Nov 2007) advised that the risks from eating red meat could be reasonably dealt with by keeping weekly consumption down, but that no "safe limit" could be recommended for sausages.

They made reference to "processed meats" and appeared to lump together cured and smoked meats, sausages, etc. In it's widest meaning, the term "processed meat" could refer to any meat that had just been minced or chopped, and I'm surprised they have used such terms so loosely when making such statements.

I would really welcome an independent review (completely independent of anything to do with the Government) of all this information we are being bombarded with lately about food, diets, etc.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a bandwagon that various celebs are quick to jump on - no doubt to swell their bank balances and increase their chances of an OBE - even the BBC seem to poodle to Government these days.

How I wish an independent research team who really know their science would trawl through all the current "scare you stiff/fit" stories and advise on what to put some belief in. There are far too many agendas and self-interested parties involved with all this scare mongering for my liking.

Thanks gastro and Rosti for the links.

Way back in the dark ages, when I was studying food and nutrition at Uni, we were bombarded with similar headlines such as "The killer Cow". So I can only deduce that nothing really has changed. And yes, it should gastro. The sensational headlines and then counter attacks by the food producers only confuse the average man in the street. There is far too much scaremongering, for what ever reason.

In my opinion basic food and nutrition should be brought back into schools by properly qualified teachers. Decyphering food labels, cooking healthily on a budget, basic nutrition to keep obesity at bay and make you feel good and oh, yes, let us show the difference between 125 ml and 175ml, to name but a few useful topics that could be covered. Then some basic skills. There is no point in showing how to make Lasagne when the student doesn't know how to chop an onion in the first place. I do have recent experience of this while doing a maternity cover for a Food Tech Teacher. Kids want to cook! This way we could encourage a healthy lifestye.

Did you hear the bit about food tech on BBC radio this morning posset?

They said food tech was more about explaining food rather than cooking it - mention was made of a project where they made up a pizza from a shop bought base and a pre-packed topping. No doubt it gave the kids a sense of achievement, but it's hard to see what they would learn from doing that - apart from knowing what temperature and timing to set the oven at.

There was also a discussion of the *8* cookery lessons that are to be introduced - Ed Baines was waxing enthusiastically about how they would be able to teach kids all about fresh ingredients and how to cook them, starting with the basics. Well in 8 sessions, I suspect it is likely to be so basic as to be of very little use.

They asked various youngsters (they sounded like middle school kids to me) how you boil and egg ... and only one said: “you need a pan and some hot water" ... lol ... and that was a boy!

Some of the schools in Hampshire have been running out of hours cooking classes, and it was noticed that there were very few girls presents and it was mainly boys showing an interest.

One of the issues that is rarely mentioned when discussing the decline of cookery lessons is the matter of gender roles and the "liberation" of women from the domestic role: learning to cook for girls is very un-PC!

So now it's little boys rattling the pots and pans as wanna-be Jamie Olivers and James Martins ... lol

Has the world gone mad? ... lol. It seems like it probably has - if you run round in circles long enough it does make you a little crazy!

Well maybe Toad in the Hole will be included in one of the lessons, like Brian Turner made on Market Kitchen, as in my original post, and we will find out what other people like with theirs.

Maybe it will Rosti - but that will make a complete nonsense of the whole thing.

A traditional sausage has generally comprised those 'left over' bits of the animal that can't be sold as anything else - not to be confused with the designer sausages made by some chefs.

Apart from any cancer scare, the traditional British sausage is not going to fare well in any nutritional test.

The Nutritional Analysis Table on this link doesn't cover toad in the hole as a dish in itself, but it does show the values for a sausage and egg muffin that contains very similar ingredients to TITH.

[link]

A Big Mac is shown as containing 12.6 grams of saturated fats

by comparison:-

A Sausage and Egg Muffin contains 17.2 grams of saturated fats

Bearing in mind that many people will use more than one egg for the batter, and that a portion of TITH will probably contain two sausages, it seems likely that the average portion of TITH will contain between 35 to 45 grams of saturated fats.

TV celeb chefs, JO in particular, have used McDonalds and Burger King as a convenient peg to hang the problems of modern day eating on, however, in truth, the whole of the catering trade have much to answer for – JO being no exception, as a quick trawl through his recipes will show.

As my previous point, we desperately need to bring some objectivity to the whole issue of food and LIFESTYLE - leaving out lifestyle will (HAS) produce a distorted picture of what is happening in relation to nutrition and health.

There are far too many people "beating the drum" with the aim of lining their own pockets, rather than providing a comprehensive, clear, and objective picture that can be used to make sensible changes for all members of the community.

You have missed the point completely gastrosurf.

This thread refered to Brian Turner cooking Toad in the Hole and I asked what other people ate with it.

You have once again turned the thread into a political issue. If you want to bring sausages or bacon up as a political subject then please start a new thread or add it to your other political one.

Thanks.

I didn't hear the piece about Food Tech unfortunately gastro. I am very passionate about teaching children to shop, prepare and cook for themselves. In this day of fast food and chilled ready meals, I do believe that a lot of flavour is in lost the process. If children could see that they can produce a better tasting meal, more cheaply at home, this would be of great benefit on a variety of fronts, not least the obesity problem.

Out and about last weekend with my son (always starving) and pushed for time he had no choice but to have a McD. Having not had one for some time, he looked at me and said "this is absolutely disgusting Mum' and gave a full analysis on what was wrong, IHO . I felt rather proud of him.

Re boys in the kitchen, it has been my experience that the boys are often far more enthusiatic than the girls in practical lessons. Last year at my son's birthday 'do', 6 lads 14+ requested that they made their own pizzas, as they had done the year before as they enjoyed it so much. What a variety of subjects can be covered in the making of a pizza!

I will look with great interest at the choice of the eight meals. I think I will start a new thread on the teaching of cookery in schools. Sorry Rosti, we have strayed a bit.

Back on topic. Toad in the hole with good sausages, locally made, once in a while.
Sometimes for a change, it is really nice to wrap the sausages in pancetta, or bacon, brown a little in the tin, before adding the batter flavoured with sage with a few carmelised onions. Still got to have gravy. I freeze my gravy left over from a Sunday roast, then fry off onions, or mushrooms or both to add a bit of interest.

Have great weekend all

I'm sure the food tech issue will be better addressed on a new thread posset.

If anyone else has comments to make about TOAD IN THE HOLE, please post them here.

cheers

No gastrosurf, you are getting too political again.

This thread was started by myself about TOAD IN THE HOLE, I would prefer that if people want to comment on this post started by myself about TOAD IN THE HOLE, they actually find TOAD IN THE HOLE being disucssed.

These are the guidlines of the site, not to go off topic.

It didn't develop, you changed the direction.

Please, just leave this thread to TOAD IN THE HOLE and take up your other issues elsewhere.

Personal attacks are not nice gastrosurf, so please, I have asked nicely.

thanks

If I am allowed to talk about MK with Brian Turner making toad in the hole?

I make mine with a beer gravy and buttered cabbage.

Brians Toad looked a bit flat to me, I like it more risen. I like mashed swede roast parsnips.

Please back off gastrosurf, and please ignore him rosti.

Onion gravy, cabbage and carrots for me.

Toad in the hole. I use linconshire sausages and add leeks to the batter instead of onions. Carrots and peas to go with it.

Can we please either return to the topic of Toad in the Hole or get this thread removed completely.

Juicy sausages, juicy onions, juicy batter. Oh ok, maybe not juicy batter.

I also wonder which sausages people use to make their Toad in the Hole, personally I use Cumbrian, Linconshire or Toulouse sausages.

Always a Cumberland Ring in my Toad.

Make that Linconshire in my Toad, Cumberland Ring when I do mash and onion marmalade.

I saw the episode with Brian Turner cooking his Toad In The Hole, I would never use that many eggs and I always keep the sausages hot on the hob while I pour the batter over.

My local butcher makes his own very meaty and herby sausages. None of the rubbish either, prime meat, rusk and hebs.

I was a bit worried about the amount of eggs Brian Turner used as well. Does it need that many?

I thought it was Linconshire Ring and Cumberland Sausage? I could be confused I am new to cooking.

Hi Blue Flame and New Cook,

Brian Turner always uses a cup method for making yorkshire pudding, but the cup he was using to make the Toad in the Hole was a very large one, he cut it into 8 portions, and I don't think all the batter mix was used.

For a smaller dish you just use a smaller cup, all you need to remember when using Brian's method is to use the same cup full of eggs, flour and a milk & water mix.