I thought you might like some nice winter warmers this month. Toad in the hole is one of our national favourites and is great served with onion gravy. If you use the local butcher's sausages, then I guarantee this recipe will be a winner! Children usually like it served with mashed potatoes and baked beans. The second recipe is basically a Moroccan lamb stew. It is usually served with steamed couscous or plain rice.
Serves 4
For the batter
For the toad
For the gravy
Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas7/fan oven 200°C. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and drop in the egg. Gradually beat in half the milk mixture. Beat well for 2 minutes to ensure a lump free mixture, then stir in rest of liquid.
Put the sausages in a large roasting tin and drizzle with oil. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour batter around the sausages. Cook for a further 35-40 minutes. The batter should have risen well and browned nicely.
For the gravy: fry the onion in oil for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and stock and bring to the boil, stirring as you do so. Simmer for 15 minutes, then season to taste.
A wonderful Moroccan stew of lamb and dried fruit, enriched with saffron, ginger, cinnamon and honey. If you find the dish too sweet for your tastes, then you can always cut down on the honey and add vegetables such as red or yellow peppers. It is normally served with couscous, a pre-cooked wheat product that looks like tiny grains. Full cooking instructions are on the side of the packet.
Heat the oil in a heavy based pan or flameproof casserole and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the meat and fry, turning, until evenly browned.
Add the saffron, ginger and stock and stir well. Cover and simmer gently for 1½ hours or until the meat is tender, adding a little hot water if the stew appears to be a little too dry.
Add the prunes, apricots, cinnamon and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste, re-cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Scatter blanched almonds over the top. Serve with steamed couscous or rice, and a salad or green vegetable.
Put yeast into a basin and mix with the sugar until creamy. Add one teacup of the liquid, and stir well. Mix salt and fat into the flour, make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture, sprinkle some of the flour over the liquid and leave to rise. When the yeast has broken through the flour, add more of the warm milk/water liquid and knead to a dough. Stand aside in a warm place to rise to twice its bulk. Work back once, then after it has risen again, roll out on a floured board to about an inch thick. Cut into rounds and put onto a warmed greased baking sheet to stand for about 10 minutes. Bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes, until firm and golden.