Toad-in-the-Hole Easy
– How to cheat

Whilst this has long been a great British national favourite, non-cooks are understandably nervous about making Yorkshire puddings. However Marks and Spencer yet again come to the rescue with light, crisp, ready-made Yorkshires. What’s more (they really seem to know about these things) they are made with real beef dripping. And wait for it – they also make a ready-prepared rich onion gravy, which means a really sumptuous Toad-in-the-Hole can be yours in moments.

Serves 2

Ingredients

400 g Marks & Spencer Toulouse sausages
2 medium onions
100 g Marks & Spencer beef dripping Yorkshire puddings (pack of 4)
300 g Marks & Spencer rich onion gravy
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon groundnut oil (or other flavourless oil)
1 teaspoon wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
¼ teaspoon English mustard powder
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400ºF (200ºC].

What you need to do here is peel the onions, leaving the root bases intact, then cut them first into quarters, then into eighths so they’re nice and chunky.

Now in a bowl toss them around with one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, oil and thyme. Then spread them out on a good solid baking sheet and place the sausages on top. Then into the oven with them on a highish shelf for 30 minutes.

After about 20 minutes tip the gravy into a saucepan and heat it along with the other tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and the mustard. Next place two heatproof plates in the oven to heat through, then 5 minutes before the sausages are ready, pop the Yorkshire puds on to the hot plates to heat up for the remaining 5 minutes.

To serve, cut each sausage in half and place 3 halves into each Yorkshire pudding. Then stir all the onions off the baking sheet into the hot gravy. Season the gravy then pour it over the sausages and Yorkshire puddings. (Needless to say M & S also do good ready-made mash).

How to Cheat Hero Ingredients: