Bangers and Mash

Bangers and mash conjures up memories of being in England and hiding out in pubs waiting for the rain to pass. It is simple and traditional English pub food consisting of sausages (bangers) and mashed potatoes (mash). When made a certain way, particularly as they were made during WWII under rationing, the sausages would often explode when cooked under high heat, and so became known as bangers.

I made my sausages because I just got a new sausage stuffer (thanks, Mom!), but feel free to buy sausage to make things a lot easier. Just make sure you get some nice quality ones.

Bangers:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper

Cooking your bangers:

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bottle Guinness beer
• salt

1. Over medium-high heat, brown sausages on all sides.
2. Add onions and Guinness, and bring to a simmer. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 50 minutes.
3. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Making your mash:

• 6 large potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil potatoes and onions until tender. Drain.
2. Add in all other ingredients. Stir and mash by hand, leaving potatoes slightly lumpy.

Serve sausages over bed of mashed potatoes and top with onion and Guinness reduction.

The Results:

It’s a bit of a gut-buster, but delicious! The sausages are very simple in flavor and the pork really shines with the Guinness giving it a boost of flavor. The mash is unlike regular mashed potatoes, with a slight hint of mustard and sharp cheddar. Lots of butter and heavy cream give the mash a velvety, rich texture. With all components on your fork, it’s like a party in your mouth!

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