Toad in the hole made with local ingredients, including beer. Serves four

From the The Oxford Times, first published Tuesday 2nd Jan 2007.

By buying local sausages, Wessex flour, free- range local eggs and a bottle of Old Hooky, brewed at Hook Norton Brewery, the only ingredients in this dish that are not local are the milk and seasonings. By adding beer to a batter, you are adding a certain lightness, thanks to the yeast in the beer which helps produce a light, fluffy texture. For this recipe, I have replaced half the required amount of milk with beer. More beer can be added instead of milk if you wish.

YOU WILL NEED: 8 local sausages 4oz (125g) plain Wessex flour 3 free-range eggs - beaten 150ml (quarter pint) milk 159 ml (quarter pint) Old Hooky Pinch salt.

METHOD: Having put the flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in the centre and then gradually beat in the eggs and then the milk.

Now stir in the beer - you are looking for batter with the consistency of cream.

Beat well until all lumps have vanished, cover and place in the fridge for at least half an hour.

While the batter is resting, turn on the oven to the highest temperature it will take, so that it's hot, hot, hot when you come to cook the batter.

Cook the sausages until almost done, too. (Some suggest putting them into the batter raw - I find they do not always cook right through if I do this.) After the batter has rested, pour a little oil into the chosen pan and take to top heat.

Add the sausages to the pan, then pour in the batter as quickly as you can. Place in the hot oven immediately.

Cook for about ten to 15 minutes, or until the batter has risen and is becoming firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and serve while hot.

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