Timmy’s Bangers and Mash

Now the development of this recipe goes waaaaay back to my day in Leicester after my university days where we used to have a bangers and mash night on a Wednesday. Really happy times. A really great warm up to Lager Thursday. :-p There used to be up to about 11 of us that would all crowd round a someone’s house with a load of red wine and beer and knock up a huge bangers and mash. Leicester has a great covered market with a great indoor meat and fish area. We used to get our sausages from one of the butchers here. He used to use only good cuts of pork, mainly shoulder and have some really great sausage flabours. The pork and Stilton sausages were a particular highlight. Brilliant texture and amazingly tasty.

This recipe is so easy and I think even if you’re not that good in the kitchen you can create this absolutely bang on. I add a few special touches that really help. What you need:

This will feed four people really well.

Pork Sausages 2-3 per person. Get some good quality ones. Any flavour you like really. A lot of the supermarkets do great sausages now so if you cant get down to a butchers then give the good quality ones in Sainburys or M&S a go.
Onions 4 large….we’re making onion gravy…yes! Half them then slice in about 5-10mm thick slices
Garlic 2 cloves finely chopped
Chorizo optional but really worth it. about 6 inches and diced
Red Wine
Bisto Best Gravy – If you’re over in Australia or anywhere you cant get bisto then use a good beef gravy granules. About 500ml. I don’t need to tell you got to make this do I? Make it as thick as you like it.
New Potatoes  about 250 grams per person. 1kg plenty for 4 people. 
Watercress optional but really worth it. If you cant get watercress then rocket or a really peppery salad leaf.
Butter
Salt Maldon Salt is the best
Pepper please not pre ground stuff. Freshly ground is so much better
Sugar brown or some sort of unrefined sugar.
Balsamic Vinegar

1. In a deep sauce pan of water get your new potatoes give them a rinse then add to the pan and add a clove of garlic and salt and bring to the boil.

1.5 Now put on the oven on about 180°C.

2. Ok so in a frying pan on a medium heat add some olive oil and start frying off the sausages to give them some colour. If you are cooking for lots of people then do this in batches. Don’t over crowd the pan too much. Once you’ve got a bit of colour on all sides put the sausages in an oven dish and repeat until you’ve done all the sausages. Now chuck the dish in the oven. This will cook through as you are doing the gravy.

3. Now in the same frying pan add the chorizo to the pan, stir for 1 min then add the onion and the garlic and cook the onions down. This will take about 10-15 mins. We want to be on a medium heat. Not too hot! Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep moving the onions around. We want them to very slowly take on some colour, They’ll go translucent then start to go a light brown colour and very soft. While this is happend mix up your bisto in a bowl or jug and put to one side.

4. When we get to this stage add a splash (about 2 teaspoons) of balsamic vinegar stir well then add a teaspoon of sugar. The onions will take on the balsamic colour. Turn up the heat to high and stir this around for 30 seconds then add half a bottle of red wine. We want this to bubble and boil away until the wine has reduced to almost nothing. Should take about 5-6 mins

5. Once you are at this stage add the gravy to the pan and stir well. Season with a bit more pepper and taste. Should be well nice! Just let this bubble away on low until you’re ready to serve.

6. Now strain the potatoes then back in the pan and crush them slightly, don’t fully mash. Add butter, salt and pepper. Now roughly chop the watercress and add it to the pan and stir well. Add a knob more butter and chuck the lid on and leave for 1 min.

7. While this is happening grab the sausages out of the oven and plate them up. Then add the mash to the plate then spoon over the gravy. a bit over the mash and a bit over the sausages.

Sorted. That will impress anyone. Real comfort food. Especially with the bisto in there! Takes you back to your mum cooking you bangers and mash! The Chorizo and the watercress are really nice little additions and really lift the whole dish to something a bit special.

Hope you enjoy!