All-Clad Lasagna Pan with Two Oven Mitts

We have a roasting pan, but it has paint or something and is beginning to flake, so a new one seemed advisable.   

I have been very pleased with my All-Clad pots and pans, so when I found a deal on this lasagna pan, I jumped on it.       

The All-Clad pots are great - but heavy!

This one weighs 5 1/2 pounds empty!

So I made lasagna.

The sauce is from tomatoes we canned from our heirloom tomatoes.

To that I added our garlic, basil, parsley.

The more meat the merrier  -  this one has chicken, ground beef, hot sausage.

Also lots of parmesan.

I used Barilla lasagna noodles, Cabot mozzarella, Galbani ricotta with eggs and parsley.

When we were growing up, we never had lasagna.

Father considered it a leftover garbage food.

We had one or more pasta meals each week, but never lasagna.

Well, I guess I agree with my father.

Although this tastes really good, it looks unappealing.

It's a lot of work, and it is probably not worth it.

Combine those ingredients in different ways!

But I do have a lovely pan!

Toad in a Hole

We had the bacon last week, and now it's time to try the
 bangers from our order with R.J.Balson & Son.
(R. J. Balson & Son website.  http://www.balsonbutchers.com/)
We decided to try the Garlic and Herb.
They come 5 to a pound.

I thought two would be enough for us, so the other three have returned to the freezer.

When I read the ingredients, they are very simple:
Pork, water, wheat  flour, salt, spices,
sodium lactate, flavorings, herbs, sodium diacetate.

Did you know that Toad in a Hole is basically meat cooked in a Yorkshire Pudding?

Per a suggestion from President Oliver Balson, I first browned the sausages to get the natural casings crispy.
Then added the batter to the hot pan with the sausage and cook at 425 degrees.

40 minutes later, we were ready to eat!


 

The chickens are enjoying the free-range now that spring is here.
The egg yolks are bright yellow, as you can see in the pudding above.

Serve with peas, mashed potatoes, and onion gravy.
Following are recipes for Yorkshire Pudding and onion gravy.
There is also a slightly different recipe on my webpage:  http://muddleaged.com/Yorkshire.html


Recipes:

Toad in a Hole

Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients:

• 4 large, fresh eggs, measured in a jug
• 200 ml/2/3 cup milk
• 200 ml/ 2/3 cup plain/all purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp lard, beef dripping or rapeseed oil (I used butter)
• 6 beef or pork sausages, partially fried

http://britishfood.about.com/od/eorecipes/r/Family-Toad-In-The-Hole-Recipe.htm

Onion Gravy Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp vegetable or cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 750ml/ 3 cups beef stock
• 4 tsp corn flour/corn starch
• 4 tsp cold water
• Salt and black pepper

Preparation:

• Melt the oil and butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat. Add the onions and cover with a lid. Cook slowly for approx 10 mins or until the onions are soft and translucent, take care not to burn, the onions should not be browned.
• Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar to the onions and stir well. Cover with the lid and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, again making sure they don't catch.
• Add the stock and boil gently uncovered for 5 minutes.
• In a heatproof jug or bowl mix the corn starch/flour with the cold water to create a thin paste. Pour a little of the hot gravy into the starch mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour the starch mixture back into the gravy, raise the heat to high and boil for 10 minutes or until the gravy is slightly thickened.
• Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to serve.

Note: To create a shine on the gravy whisk 1 tsp of ice cold butter into the finished gravy before serving.
http://britishfood.about.com/od/recipeindex/r/oniongravy.htm