Bangers and mash with onion gravy is the epitome of comfort food. The perfectly pan-roasted bangers (a.k.a. sausages) rest on a pillow of soft mashed potatoes; all smothered in a luscious onion gravy. When the weather starts to cool, this homey “pub food” is a perfect warming meal. Without a doubt, it is the onion gravy that elevates this dish into something spectacular. Admittedly, I make this recipe just for the gravy alone; that how good it is. However, the gravy also requires some patience and time to develop the most flavor.
Type of Sausage for Bangers and Mash
Admittedly there is no one “banger” sausage in the UK. It varies by region and meat-type as well as fat content. The standard sausage used for the bangers is Cumberland Sausages, according to many recipes and older cookbooks. Not necessarily easy to find here in the United States. A coarse ground pork sausage that is not too lean, too spicy, or sweet is what you are looking for. My personal preference would be a good quality bratwurst. It seems to be a good substitute, even if it isn’t authentic. While not a perfect match, the overall finished dish will be just as good. For more information on Cumberland sausages, click here. We par-boil the sausages in a Guinness beer and beef broth mixture before quickly roasting in the oven. Giving the sausages and additional layer of flavor and moisture.
Making the Best “Mash”
Obviously, potato selection is going to determine the outcome. The consensus is Yukon Gold potatoes make the best possible mashed potatoes. I completely agree. The rest of the ingredients are straight-forward and simple for this recipe. Potatoes cooked till tender run through a food mill or ricer. Mixed with melted warm butter first. Followed by heated half & half or cream (my preference is the lighter half & half). Finally, seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Combined all together with a manual masher.
The Onion Gravy
To make the best onion gravy, it takes time. Time to properly caramelize the onions and reduce the red wine to a coat the spoon consistency. Both to be done over a low flame. This is the key to develop a beautiful deep color and flavor. We use red onions for their natural sweetness and its huge onion flavor. They also hold together better than yellow or white onions. For the wine, we prefer a bold red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon works perfectly. Using cornstarch as a thickener gives the gravy its beautiful translucent color and body. Different than the flour/roux-based gravies that tend to be opaque and viscous.
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Banger & Mash with Red Onion Gravy
Essential Items
Ingredients
Sausages
- 1 quart Guinness Stout Beer for par-boiling
- 2 cups beef broth
- 8 English sausage links (or Bratwurst)
- 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
Mashed Potatoes
- 2½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and quartered
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter 1 us stick, melted
- 2 cup half & half warmed
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper or to taste
Red Onion Gravy
- 4 red onions thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 tbsp thyme (fresh) leaves minced
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to make slurry
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter ¼ inch cubed, cold
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Par-boil the sausages in Guinness beer and beef broth for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and keep sausages in beer broth mixture covered until ready to be roasted.
Prepare Red Onion Gravy
- In a large fry-pan heat butter and oil together over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and saute until soft and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and season with the brown sugar and salt. Lower the heat to it lowest setting and continue to saute until onions have caramelized to a deep golden brown color (approx. 30 minutes).
- Add red wine and fresh thyme allow to reduce by half until the wine coats a spoon (approx. 15 minutes). Mix in the dijon mustard, Worchestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and beef broth. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a simmer. Add the cornstarch slurry, mix throughly until thickened. Whisk in the cold butter a little at a time until completely incorporated and glossy. Set aside and keep warm
Mashed Potatoes
- Add cut potatoes into a large pot, cover potatoes with cold water and season with salt. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat, until fork tender approxiamately 25 mins, once boiling. In the meantime melt the butter and heat the milk. On a side note, this is a good time to preheat the oven to 425° F
- Drain potatoes well. Run potatoes through a food mill or ricer back into the pot. Alternatively, return drained potatoes back into the pot and manually begin to mash. Add the melted butter and incorporate well before adding the warm milk. continue mashing and stirring until a creamy texture is achieved. Season with salt and pepper.
Finishing the Sausages and Plating
- Remove the sausages from the beer broth and place them in to a large baking pan, leaving room between the sausages, Coat suasges with the oil and bake 10 – 15 minutes until skin is browned and crisp. Flip sausages half-way in between.
- Once saussges are done, Plate the mash first, with some gravy pored on top, Place two sausage on top of the potatoes per plate and top with more gravy.
Nutrition
