Description
Classic Bangers and Mash is a comforting British dish featuring juicy pork sausages served over creamy mashed potatoes, topped with rich onion gravy made from caramelized onions, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce. This traditional recipe balances savory flavors with a smooth, buttery mash for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Bangers
- 8 large Pork Sausages (about 800g/28oz), preferably plain flavored such as Cumberland
- 1 large Onion, thinly sliced (white or red)
- 2 cups / 500ml good quality Beef Stock
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 2 tbsp Butter (adjusted to maintain 3 tbsp fat combined with sausage fat)
- 1.5 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Beef Oxo Cube, crumbled (or 1 tsp Beef Bouillon)
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- Salt, to taste
- Olive Oil, as needed for frying
Mash
- 1.2kg / 2.6lb Potatoes, peeled and diced into chunks (Maris Piper or Russet potatoes recommended)
- 4 tbsp Butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temperature (can substitute milk)
- 2 tsp Salt, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp English Mustard
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Mash: Place the peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water just enough to submerge them, and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about 10-15 minutes depending on chunk size. Drain the potatoes well and let them sit in the colander for 5 minutes to allow excess steam to escape. Transfer the potatoes back to the pot, add 4 tablespoons of butter, and mash until mostly smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, English mustard, and season generously with salt and black pepper to taste. Continue mashing slightly to incorporate all ingredients until creamy.
- Cook the Bangers: While the potatoes cook, heat a large pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place the sausages in the pan and cook them evenly, turning frequently, until golden brown with light charring and cooked thoroughly in the center. This should take approximately 15 minutes. Maintain medium heat to render the fat properly without burning.
- Make the Onion Gravy: Remove the cooked sausages from the pan and set aside, leaving the rendered fat behind. There should be about 1 tablespoon of sausage fat; if there is more, reduce the amount of butter added so that the total fat amounts to 3 tablespoons. Add butter to the pan and melt it over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook until they become soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of flour and stir continuously to form a roux paste. Gradually add the beef stock, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stir in the crumbled beef Oxo cube, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and salt if desired. Let the gravy simmer gently until it thickens to your liking, adding extra beef stock or water if it becomes too thick.
- Serve the Dish: Plate the creamy mashed potatoes and arrange the cooked sausages on top. Pour the rich onion gravy generously over the sausages and mash. Serve immediately for a comforting traditional British meal.
Notes
- Sausage Selection: Choose plain flavored pork sausages without added herbs or spices. Cumberland sausages are an excellent choice. If using smaller sausages, increase the quantity to about 12 to maintain serving sizes.
- Serving Suggestions: Traditionally served with peas, but alternatives like green beans can be used if preferred.
- Seasoning Advice: The mash can tolerate generous seasoning; however, be cautious with salt in the gravy due to the salty components already present from sausage fat, butter, and stock.
- Calorie Note: Nutrition estimates are based on dividing the entire dish into 4 servings and include roughly 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter used for frying.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 620 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 930 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
