Step 1

Whisk together the eggs, flour, milk, 2 Tbsp melted butter, salt, and a heavy pinch of pepper until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender to get total smoothness once the ingredients are combined somewhat.

Step 2

Stir in the chopped thyme and set the batter aside to rest. (Resting it will allow any gluten to relax, making for better oven-spring.)

Step 3

Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) with a greased metal cake pan or large cast-iron pan in it. (Glass is a terrible conductor of heat, and we want lots of heat conduction in this case. Metal is best.)

Step 4

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 5

Brown the sausages in the pan and brown them for a few minutes on each side, flipping them and lowering the heat if browning too quickly.

Step 6

Cook the sausages to 105°F (41°C), checking with your Thermapen ONE.

Step 7

When the oven is heated, pour the remaining 2 Tbsp melted butter into the pan in the oven. Arrange the sausages in the pan, and pour the egg batter in around the sausages.

Step 8

Cook, checking the temperature of the sausages after 20 minutes. (A good timer will help!)

Step 9

If the sausages have reached 160°F (71°C), remove the pan from the oven.

Step 10

You can cut the toad in the hole in the pan or slide it out onto a cutting board and cut it more easily.

Step 11

Serve it up, possibly with some oniony gravy on top.