Toad-in-the-Hole

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound small, fresh pork sausages

Instructions:
To make the batter in a blender, combine the flour, eggs, milk, salt and a few grindings of pepper in the blender jar, and blend at high speed for 2 or 3 seconds. Turn off the machine, scrape down the sides of the jar, and blend again for 40 seconds. To make the batter by hand, beat the eggs and salt with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until frothy. Slowly add the flour, beating constantly. Then pour in the milk in a thin stream and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour. Place the sausages side by side in a heavy 10 to 12 inch skillet, and prick them once or twice with the tines of a fork. Sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons of water, cover the pan tightly, and cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Then remove the cover, increase the heat to moderate, and continue to cook, turning the sausages frequently with tongs or a spatula, until the water has completely evaporated and the sausages have begun to brown in their own fat. Arrange the sausages in a single layer in a baking tin or dish about 6 by 10 inches and 2 inches deep, and moisten them with 2 tablespoons of their drippings. Keep them at least 1 inch apart. Then pour the batter over them and bake in the middle of a preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes, or until the pudding has risen over the top of the pan and is crisp and brown. Serve at once.
Serves 4.