Bangers and Mash
Bangers and Mash is considered a British comfort-food staple, with roots going back to the 18th century, but the name "bangers" only appeared during World War I, when meat shortages forced butchers to pad sausages with a lot of water and breadcrumbs — the mixture would often explode ("bang") in the pan if fried over too high heat without being pricked first. Today the term is used affectionately, even though modern sausages no longer explode. A quality English sausage typically contains 70-80% meat, unlike cheap sausages with far less, which is why traditional British recipes insist on thick, butcher-shop sausages rather than thin industrial ones. The mash should be pushed through a hand masher or ricer, not a food processor, because an electric blender releases too much starch and turns the potatoes into a gluey paste instead of a fluffy mash.
Thick British bangers, not thin franks
Traditional English sausages (Cumberland or Lincolnshire) are thick and dense, not thin like frankfurters.
Slow-caramelized onion gravy
The onions sauté for 30-40 minutes over low heat, until fully caramelized, forming the base of the gravy.
Buttery mash, not watery
The potatoes are mashed with plenty of butter and warm milk, for a thick, silky mash, not a thin one.
Ale or beef stock in the gravy
Many recipes add a splash of brown ale or bitter to the gravy, for malty depth.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 8 thick English sausages (Cumberland or Lincolnshire)
- 1kg floury potatoes, peeled
- 80g butter, divided
- 150ml warm milk
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 300ml beef stock
- 2 tbsp brown ale or bitter (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to make it
- 1BOIL THE POTATOES: Boil the whole potatoes in salted water 20-25 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork, then drain.
- 2BROWN THE SAUSAGES: Heat a pan with a little oil over medium heat, brown the sausages on all sides 12-15 minutes, until fully cooked, then remove and keep them warm.
- 3CARAMELIZE THE ONIONS: In the same pan, add the onion and brown sugar, sautéing over low heat 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply caramelized.
- 4MAKE THE GRAVY: Sprinkle the flour over the onions, stirring 1 minute, then gradually add the beef stock and ale, stirring continuously, until slightly thickened.
- 5MASH THE POTATOES: Mash the hot potatoes with half the butter and the warm milk, until you get a smooth, creamy mash, then season with salt and pepper.
- 6STIR IN THE REST OF THE BUTTER: Mix the remaining butter into the mash, for extra richness.
- 7SERVE: Divide the mash among the plates, top with the sausages, pour the onion gravy generously over everything.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
