icook: Warm Comfort Food on a Chilly Evening

Despite just going grocery shopping on the weekend, we really don't have much food in the fridge right now. We've been working our way through the leftover produce and a lot of what we picked up was for ice cream. Today, after a great run, I came home to what appeared to be a fridge robbery. Even less was in there that I remembered. I started hemming and hawing over the pile of recipes that I have been stacking on the counter, the ones that use basic ingredients and others that I have been meaning to make. Hmm, eggs. I also know that there is deer smokies in the freezer (C hunts and bagged a deer this past season so we had 140 lbs of meat in his parents freezer). I know what we can make. I dug out the recipe from the pile, showed it to hubs, and he approved.

Toad in the Hole. Toad in the Hole is a traditional British dish of pan cooked sausage, baked in a creamy luscious Yorkshire pudding.

The sausages weren't thawed (come on, this wasn't planned, just inspired) so C threw them into the cast iron plan to thaw.

Deer Smokies

Next, C made the batter. Milk, eggs, flour. I bet you've got those ingredients in your house right now. You too could make this! We also added some chopped fresh rosemary. He tossed the pan of sausages into the oven before pouring the batter into the pan. You could use any reserved grease from the cooking to wipe around the pan so the batter doesn't stick, or some PAM would work, or cooking oil. Leave the sausages in the pan and pour all of the batter over top.

Pouring the batter into a hot cast-iron frying pan, over the sausages.

With the cast-iron pan hot, the batter was poured in and immediately put into the 425 F preheated oven. Once the Toad in the Hole goes into the oven, the oven door cannot be opened or the souffle-like dish will fall. Your goal is to have the Toad in the Hole puff up nice and high as it bakes. While C was prepping the main dish, I had chopped up some very ripe tomatoes and leftover cauliflower to roast. I got those in the oven at 425 F to roast so they would be done right before the Toad needed to go into the oven. While the tomatoes and cauliflower were roasting, I also chopped up carrots. Seasoned with basil and oregano, these waited to go into the oven at the same time that the Toad was going to go in. Our dinner was planned like a ballet performance. Ever dish had its cue to enter and exit the oven.

Roasted tomatoes and cauliflower out of the oven

Prepped carrots, waiting to go into the oven with the Toad in the Hole

Alright, tomatoes and cauliflower were out (I will figure out what to do with these tomorrow...tossed with pasta, chickpeas and fresh basil? Maybe blended together for some tomato soup?...), and the cast iron pan and carrots went in as soon as the batter was poured into the pan. The oven door closed, and now we wait. "I don't think it's working, nothing's happening" fretted C, watching the oven door, making me imagine him wringing his hands. "Just wait. It'll puff up" I reassured him. "Just don't open the door now". Then, it started...

Puffing Toad in the Hole

Twenty five minutes later and everything was done at once. The Toad in the Hole turned out beautifully. Tall, proud, dense, creamy and crunchy. The carrots were roasted to a lovely hue and... Oh My Lanta I forgot the peas! I always do 2 veggies of 2 different colours for dinner and lunch. Ack! I forgot to put the peas on while this was all cooking because I was prepping lunches for tomorrow. C had put some tomato soup on so we had a cup of that with dinner too. It's cool out tonight. Rainy and chilly. This dinner was the perfect combination for the weather. Warm, stick-to-your-ribs comforting. Light but filling, C had ketchup on his and I had white wine mustard on mine. Wonderful and now we know what to do with the rest of the deer sausage sitting in the freezer. This would be a lovely breakfast on a weekend, or a nice brunch for friends with a refreshing bright salad on the side. If you don't have a cast iron frying pan, invest in one. They are a great addition to any kitchen and have so many uses for homey meals and desserts.

It's now 11pm. I just received some great and much anticipated news about a very good friend. It's now time for bed and I bid you all Adieu.