Gordon Ramsay’s toad in the hole is pork sausages baked in a crisp, risen batter and served with red onion gravy. The recipe comes from Great British Pub Food and serves four. He calls it perfect for “casual weeknight suppers or times when friends stop by unexpectedly.”
The gravy is what makes his version stand out. Most recipes stop at onions, flour and stock. Ramsay adds three more ingredients that turn it from basic to memorable.
The single most important step is the heat. The oil must be smoking hot before the batter goes in, or it will not rise. As his Sunday Lunch book puts it, you need “love and hot fat to make perfect crisp Yorkshires.”
Gordon Ramsay’s Toad in the Hole with Onion Gravy
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
10
minutes40
minutes520
kcal50
minutesA British pub classic from Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food. The same batter appears across four of his cookbooks with egg counts ranging from 2 to 4. His onion gravy uses two unusual ingredients that set it apart from every other version.
Ingredients
- For the toad in the hole:
2 tbsp olive oil
8 good-quality thick pork sausages
150g plain flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
2 large eggs
150ml milk
- For the onion gravy:
20g butter
2 red onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp plain flour
300ml chicken stock
1 tsp English mustard
2 tbsp redcurrant jam
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- Heat the sausages: Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Spoon the olive oil into a 1.5 litre baking dish and tilt to coat the base. Add the sausages, toss to coat and bake for 10 minutes.
- Make the batter: Put the flour, salt, eggs and milk into a blender. Blend for a couple of minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides to loosen any clumps of flour.
- Add the batter: Take the sausages out of the oven and quickly pour the batter all around them. Return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the batter has risen dramatically and is golden. Do not open the door.
- Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the red onions and season. Sweat for 8-10 minutes until soft. Stir in the flour for 2 minutes, then gradually add the stock. Simmer, then add mustard, redcurrant jam and Worcestershire to taste.
- Serve: Let the toad in the hole stand for a few minutes, then serve with the onion gravy.
FAQs
Why won’t my toad in the hole batter rise?
The most common cause is not resting the batter. In his Bread Street Kitchen book, Ramsay rests it for at least an hour and says the restaurant makes it the night before. Resting relaxes the gluten so the batter rises higher and lighter.
The oil temperature matters too, but resting is the step most people skip. His Yorkshire pudding uses the exact same batter and benefits from the same overnight rest.
Why does Ramsay add redcurrant jam to the gravy?
The redcurrant jam adds a fruity sweetness that balances the savoury onions and salty sausages. Combined with English mustard and Worcestershire sauce, it gives the gravy a rounded sweet-sharp finish you cannot get from onions alone.
This is different from his bangers and mash gravy, which uses balsamic vinegar and sugar instead. Both are red onion based, but the redcurrant version is sweeter and more suited to the rich batter.
What sausages work best for toad in the hole?
Ramsay specifies “good-quality thick pork sausages” and suggests keeping butcher’s sausages in the freezer for when friends turn up. Thick sausages hold their shape and stay juicy through the 40 minutes of baking.
Thin sausages overcook and dry out before the batter is ready. Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages work well because their coarse texture stands up to the rich batter. Avoid cheap sausages with high water content, as they shrink and release liquid that makes the batter soggy.
Can you make the batter ahead?
Yes. Blend it, cover and keep in the fridge for up to a day, then bring back to room temperature before baking. Cold batter hitting hot oil will not rise as well.
The horseradish version from his Ultimate Home Cooking book adds grated horseradish to the same batter for a peppery kick. That works especially well if you are serving the toad in the hole with beef sausages rather than pork.
What should you serve with toad in the hole?
Ramsay suggests “lashings of onion gravy and some roasted vegetables on the side.” The gravy is essential, not optional, because the batter on its own is quite plain and needs the moisture and flavour.
Roasted carrots, parsnips or his Brussels sprouts all work as sides. For something more refined than mash, his fondant potatoes soak up the gravy beautifully.
