RECIPE: Bangers ‘N’ Mash with Tomato-Fennel Relish

Winter is coming…. Time for great comfort food.

Bangers and mash is a staple of the country’s overall cuisine and is a popular pub dish. The term bangers supposedly originated during World War I, when meat shortages resulted in sausages’ being made with a number of fillers, notably water, that caused them to explode when cooked. Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/bangers-and-mash

Please see below my version of Bangers ‘N’ Mash – recipe with step-by-step guide.

Quantity – PORT: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 35 minutes                         

INGREDIENTS

QUANTITY       UNIT         PRODUCE

8                       PC            Pork sausages (good quality – e.g. Cumberland style)

                         SOME       Cooking oil

500                   GR            Potatoes (Yukon Gold or Bintje)

                         SOME       Salt cooking

100                   ML            Milk full fat

50                     ML            Cream thick cooking

30                     GR            Butter unsalted

2                       PC            Garlic gloves fresh

               TO TASTE          Salt (cooking) and white pepper ground

1                       PINCH      Nutmeg ground

20                     ML            Olive oil cooking

50                     GR            Onions Spanish (red) finely chopped

20                     GR            Parsley flat stem finely chopped

¼                      PC            Star Anise crushed

2                       GR            Mustard seeds yellow

100                   GR            Fennel cut into small cubes

50                     ML            White wine cooking

150                   GR            Tomato (Roma) roughly chopped

1                       PINCH      Sugar white

20                     ML            Honey liquid

30                     GR            Coriander finely chopped

               TO TASTE          Sea salt flakes, black epper from the peppermill

MISE EN PLACE | PREPARATION:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 2-3 cm pieces
2. Boil in salt water till soft (approx.. 15-20 minutes)
3. Strain off the water, put potatoes back into the pot and dry on medium heat for 2-3 minutes
4. Take off the heat, mash potatoes in the pot with a potato masher or put through a potato press till smooth
5. Put back onto the heat, add preheated milk and cream – stir well, add butter – stir well – check constituency (nice and smooth)
6. Add finely minced garlic – stir well, season with slat cooking and ground white pepper
7. Set aside and cover with lid to keep warm
8. Heat olive oil in saucepan, add mustard seeds and sautéing till you can hear them pop
9. Add red onions, parsley stems, fennel and star anise, season with sea salt flakes, sautéing for 3-4 minutes on low-medium heat
10. Add sugar and slightly caramelised (1-2 minutes), deglaze with white wine and reduce by half (2-3 minutes)
11. Add tomatoes, season with sea salt flakes and black pepper from the pepper mill, simmer for approx. 5-8 minutes, take from heat, add honey and coriander
12. Heat up cooking oil and pan-fry pork sausages golden brown on each side till the skin is crispy  (each side 3-4 minutes)
13. Heat potato puree, put a dollop in the middle of the plate, place two pork sausages on top of the potato mash, slightly top and surround with tomato-fennel relish

EQUIPMENT / TOOLS required:

Small stock pot with lid, saucepan, sautéing pan, strainer (sieve), potato masher or potato press, wooden spoon, grill tongue, potato peeler, chopping board, Chef’s knife

REMARKS | COMMENTS | SUGGESTIONS:

1. Pork sausages can be replaced with beef, lamb or chicken sausages

Chef and Guide Dog User – Martin