Bangers and mash. Not unlike many other quintessentially British food, 'bangers & mash' sounds somewhat playful and simplistic. This hearty dish is somewhat simple, but that shouldn't be taken as a negative. It's a beautifully simple marriage of a few textures and tastes, which, once they receive a little facelift, transform it from the pub grub leagues, to gourmet classic. Fresh parsley, a little bit of strong cheese, and leaving the skins on the spuds will set your mash apart, and provide more in terms of texture, colour, flavour, and taste. And to really make this one purr, it's all in the gravy. A carful mix of red and white onions, and a generous helping of port will proverbially and literally sugar-coat the whole meal into something more sophisticated, sexy, and mature. Think: turning Sam Fox into Sophia Lauren.
So what's in a name? The 'mash' obviously refers to the humble mashed potato, but referring to your sausages as bangers? For the answer to that, we're back to World War 2, and rations. The lesser quality sausages available at the time were made with a larger percentage of water, which means that if you weren't carful, you ran the risk of exploding your sausages as you cooked them. Bang! Thankfully today there's just a pleasant sizzle.
Ingredients: 4 sausages of your choice, 2 white onions, 1 red onion, 400g King Edwards spuds, 200ml milk, 100g butter, parsley, 200ml port/sherry, 175ml vegetable stock, salt, and pepper.
Method: Peel and wash the potatoes, and place them in a pot just so they are submerged in cold, lightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, fry up the sausages in a light sprinkle of oil over a low heat. Both the sausages and spuds will take approximately 30mins. In the meantime, finely chop the onions, and fry them in 60g butter in a small pot. Once they are starting to brown, add the port or sherry, and vegetable stock. Fry until sticky. After 25mins, remove the potatoes and drain well. Add 55g butter and 150ml milk, and a generous handful of fresh parsley, salt, and pepper, and mash well. Serve the mash, with sausages shaped on top, and drizzled with the onion gravy.
Tips: Leave the skins on the potatoes for some extra fibre and texture.
Music: 'Bangers and Mash' by Peter Sellers & Sophia Lauren - "Give us a bash at the bangers and mash me mother used to make". Pure gold.
