Luxuriating in his St Regis hotel room in New York in Live and Let Die (1954), James Bond’s thoughts turn to the scene back in London – bitter weather, a cold office and a sign outside the local boozer advertising ‘giant toad and two veg’. Toad-in-the-hole is a classic British dish of sausages encased in a fluffy Yorkshire pudding-style batter. Though Bond had not been tempted into the pub by the sign, his thoughts indicate that he is familiar with the dish.

Serves two to three

• 6 pork sausages
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 115g self-raising flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 300ml milk
• Pinch of finely chopped thyme,
• Pinch of finely chopped sage
• Pinch of finely chopped parsley
• Salt
• Black pepper

Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan-assisted; 375F). Grease the sides and base of a deep oven dish with the oil. Lay the sausages in the dish and place the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes.

While the sausages are cooking, prepare the batter. Put the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the beaten egg, a pinch of salt and about a third of the milk. Thoroughly combine the ingredients together with a whisk or fork. Whisk half of the remaining milk into the mixture, then add the rest of the milk and whisk until the batter is smooth (though don’t worry if the batter is a little lumpy). Stir in a pinch of pepper and the herbs. Refrigerate the batter until it is required.

Remove the dish from the oven and pour the batter over the sausages. Put the dish back in the oven, increasing the heat to 220C (200C fan-assisted; 425F) and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the batter has risen and is golden-brown on top. Remove the dish from the oven and let it stand for a couple of minutes until the batter has slightly come away from the sides of the dish.