It wasn’t until a few years ago that I had ever heard of Bangers and Mash. Susan’s dad was in town and wanted to go an old New York English pub for “some grub and a pint”. Well, I thought we would at least get a good beer but I wasn’t so sure about the food. If you have ever been out in NY there are a lot of fake old New York bars with the best of the best frozen everything on the menu. Luckily we found the real deal and it was actually a great place.

We settled in for dinner and ordered a few pints and started looking to see what food they offered. Susan’s dad immediately spotted the Bangers and Mash, and he was done. My curiosity got the better of me and I was in too! Susan has always been a fish and chips girl, so I didn’t even ask.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the vague menu description, but a big o’l plate of loveliness arrived at the table. On the plate was a big fluffy mound of mashed potatoes with two sausages nestled on top, swaddled in a rich gravy. At this point, I don’t even think I could concentrate on anyone else at the table. The queen herself could have sat down and I wouldn’t have noticed. One bite and it was just heaven.

It was a year later that Susan and I were in London and we got to try this dish in it’s origin, and I have to say the New York bar got it right! I did find out why the British call sausages Bangers: because when people had to ration food, the sausages were made with a lot of water in them and they would “bang” or explode if cooked too quickly.

Bangers and Mash Recipe

Mashed Potatoes Ingredients

• 5 medium potatoes
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Bangers and Gravy Ingredients

• 4 pork sausages
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion cut in quarters and sliced
• 1 tsp flour
• 3/4 cup beef broth

Instructions

Serves 4

1. Wash potatoes and put in a pot and cover with water. Bring the pot to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes.
2. While the potatoes are boiling, use a large skillet and brown the sausages on all sides using medium high heat for about 10 minutes then set aside and cover with foil.
3. Next, check the potatoes to see if they are done by inserting a knife into the potatoes and seeing if the knife with no resistance. Add in the butter and chicken stock and mash the potatoes until smooth. Cover and set aside.
4. With the drippings from the sausages, return the pan to the medium high heat and add the chopped onions and butter. Cook until onions are softened and light brown. Add flour and mix until flour is absorbed in onions. Pour in beef broth and stir until incorporated. Bring the gravy to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook until thickened to a gravy consistency.
5. Assemble the dish by putting a nice heaping mound of potatoes on the plate followed by a sausage and topped with the gravy.

Do I even need to say you have to make this? Just do it and you will be proclaimed King or Queen of your domain. Where’s my throne?