St. Robert Barnes Toad-in-the-Hole

History

Whether you already do or not, all Lutherans should know of St. Robert Barnes and his day on July 30th. No matter your level of familiarity with this Englishman, though, you might wonder what things you might do to help commemorate his date and teach about his importance to the Lutheran tradition.

Like some of the figures we write about on our journey to learn more about Lutheran liturgical living, there is not a strong recorded history of how those who have gone before us in the Church have remembered Robert Barnes. As we mentioned in our introductory post, Martin Luther was a personal friend of Barnes and wrote a dedicatory preface to a text on Barnes’s confession of faith, mentioning some very inspiring words about his martyrdom and commitment to the true faith. Of course, this is worth reading and would be a wonderful addition to your July 30th remembrance.

However, in the spirit of also providing a “hands on” suggestion for a Barnes commemoration, we decided to go the route of thinking of a locational-specific recipe that could be useful for a versatile, kid-friendly, and instructional celebration of this committed Lutheran.

Robert Barnes’s Toad-in-the-Hole

Between the both of us at All the Household, one of our favorite meals to plan for, cook for, and host for is breakfast/brunch and luckily the English people would agree! Some of the best English recipes are for breakfast time and include all varieties of scones, eggs, and meat. What is known as the “Full English Breakfast” dates back to before the Reformation (some say as early as the 1300s) and includes a massive spread of toast, eggs, sausages, bacon, beans, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, fried potatoes, and even black pudding!

Those who usually were privy to eating such a spread were the gentry and nobility, or the ruling class: those in elite positions of power and perhaps some of the Englishman that you easily think of when contemplating the Middle Ages. They made breakfast a big deal and a social occasion.

During Robert Barnes’s life, the famous Lutheran saint rubbed shoulders with many of the best known elites of England and Europe on a regular basis. He left England to befriend Luther and Melanchthon, was a colleague of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More, and tried to convince King VIII to become a Lutheran. He was surely no stranger to the English breakfast tradition.

Thus, we are sharing one of the most traditional—and scrumptious—English recipes: toad-in-the-hole! While this particular beloved English dish was likely not around in Robert Barnes’s time (it is recorded as stretching back to the 18th century), it is representative of the breakfast food genre in general and a great addition to your liturgical living cookbook for a few reasons.

First of all it is an easy dish to throw together. It originated as a money-saving meal that could stretch a household’s meat allowance and fill a table full of eaters right up. It bakes savory sausage in a Yorkshire Pudding batter that puffs and toasts in a hot oven.

Second of all, it is extremely versatile dish that can take centerstage at any meal! Add some sauteed onions or gravy on top and serve alongside mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables (a variation of them in England is known as “Bubble and Squeak”) to ensure that you have the perfect breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner option!

Toad-in-the-Hole

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup water

¾ cup milk

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb high-quality sausages

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. To make your batter, whisk eggs, water, and flour together in a big bowl until lump free. Slowly add milk, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and whisk until well combined. Place in the fridge until required.
2. Stir together the oil and sausages to a casserole dish in a uniform pattern. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, remove the dish from the oven, take the batter out of the fridge, and quickly pour it around the sausages, returning the dish to the oven. Bake for another 25-30 minutes. Do not open the oven until at least 25 minutes has passed to reduce the batter deflating. Serve immediately when crisp and warm!