Toad in the hole with sausages, celeriac and wild garlic

Spring

Toad in the hole is such a winner, but you don’t have to stick to the classic recipe all the time. Here the last of the winter celeriac and the first of the spring wild garlic add a whole new dimension to this familiar dish. The celeriac roasts alongside the sausages, developing a lovely earthy sweetness, while the wild garlic brings its bright, confident punch. I like to add a generous spoon of Dijon mustard to the batter too, it works so well with the sausages and celeriac. Try and track down the best bangers you can find, they will make all the difference.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 – 6 organic or free range pork sausages
250 – 300g celeriac, peeled and cut into 2 – 3cm cubes
1 handful of small wild garlic leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the batter

140g plain flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
200ml whole milk
2 Tbsp of water
2 tsp of Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 210C fan, 230C conventional.

Put the oil into a medium heavy roasting tin or cast iron pan. Add the sausages and the cubed celeriac, season well with salt and pepper and scatter over half of the wild garlic leaves. Place the dish in the hot oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Tip the flour into a bowl and whisk in the eggs until everything is nice and smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking continuously, until you are certain there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Take the sausages and celeriac out of the oven and give the dish a good shake so everything is nicely distributed. Pour in the batter, scatter over the thyme and the remaining wild garlic leaves, then place the dish straight back into the oven.

Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes, or until the batter is puffed up and looking delicious and golden.

Bring the toad in the hole to the table and serve straight from the pan. A crunchy, sharply dressed coleslaw on the side works particularly well.

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