Bangers and Mash

 

So what is, Bangers and Mash made of? Well Bangers are sausages, and these are served with "mash" (mashed potatoes), a brown gravy with onions, and peas. Easy to make at home. This is traditional British pub food that you can easily create at home.

I was first introduced to Bangers and Mash when my father introduced me to his cousin who helped raise him after his mom died, he called her Aunt Kate. Kate Malloy was right off the boat from Ireland based on her accent. He adored Kate and I grew to adore her too as I got to know her. She taught me how to cook true Irish food and although Bangers and Mash is British fare, she considered it Irish fare too.

These days, sausages are made of high-quality ingredients! They contain a blend of premium meat, herbs, spices, and just enough filler to maintain moisture.  However, back during wartime rationing, the fillers were more like breadcrumbs and water. If cooked too fast without being pierced, they’d explode—hence the nickname "bangers," which has stuck around ever since!

Ingredient Notes

For St. Patrick’s Day, Aunt Kate would use pork chops instead of sausage and she’d use cabbage instead of mashed potatoes, also she’d add a can of beer to the gravy to make it more Irish she’d say. I’ve never tried this Irish twist since I can’t drink beer, but I’ve tried it with the cabbage and it was really good.

But here is the recipe she handed down to me.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter

8 pork sausages

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon brown vinegar (this turns out to be Balsamic)

2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

3 cups beef broth/stock

mashed potatoes made as usual

3 cups of peas, drained and heated. (frozen is fine, but fresh it better. If you use a can, be sure to drain completely.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large skillet (cast Iron is best since it can also go into the oven) over medium heat. Add sausages and brown slowly on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.

To the same skillet, add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the flour, vinegar, and brown sugar until well combined. Slowly stir in the broth until well combined. Add the sausages along with any juices back to the pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas. Aunt Kate used to also serve Carrots to round out the meal completely.

 

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts from Phoenix University in Business Management, then a degree. Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Phoenix University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft, and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, Gouche, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.