We all need comfort, right now. Not because of the typical seasonal weather, or the exhaustion induced by the festivities. Not even because it's back-to-work. No, we need comfort right now because that Visa bill is looming, its prodigious capaciousness of debt bulked out by the economic unconsciousness into which you descend every Christmas. Help!
So, we need not just comfort, but cheap comfort, and here it is. Toad in the Hole is one of those daft English dishes which are utterly delightful, easy to make, and cheap. This version comes from The Prawn Cocktail Years, by Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham, who point out that this is "not the sort of dish that requires the accompaniment of a nicely dressed green salad." Too right.
