Sausages & mashed potatoes with gravy (or Bangers & Mash as it’s more often known) is a classic British dish and it’s one of my favourites. I never would have thought to eat sausages with mashed potatoes before moving here, but it’s a revelation and the gravy makes it the ultimate comfort food.
I’ve used Cumberland Sausages for this recipe and they are my usual choice for Bangers & Mash if I’m making it myself. Lincolnshire sausages are a close second as far as I’m concerned, but really any pork sausages will do and it’s a lot of fun to experiment and see how the flavours change to find your favourite!
When it comes to the mash I’ve specifically made it a bit thick because I think it holds up to the gravy better that way. I’m normally a smooth and creamy mash kind of girl, but this is a good time to have a more rustic, thick consistency because it improves the whole dish altogether. Also, feel free to use store-bought stock for this recipe or one that you make from a cube, a pot or concentrate because it will work beautifully if you don’t have homemade beef stock to hand. Let’s get started!
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 700g peeled floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, quartered or chopped into large-ish cubes
- 50g butter
- 75ml double cream
- Salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 fat Cumberland Sausages (or sausages of your choice)
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 heaping tablespoon plain flour
- 400ml beef stock
Method
- Put the potatoes into a large pot of water and boil until soft when stabbed with a fork. The cooking time will depend on which potatoes you buy and how large you cut them, but somewhere in the neighbourhood of 15 to 20 minutes boiling should do it. When they are done, strain the potatoes and return them to the hot pan for a couple of minutes over low heat to steam off any excess water.
- Add the butter and the cream to the potatoes to let it melt and when ready, mash them using a hand masher or whatever you have. I typically use a large spider ladle because it works and it’s what I have. It doesn’t particularly matter if they’re perfect or lump-free for a rustic comfort food dish like this one. Season the potatoes with salt & pepper to taste and pop the lid on the pan to keep them warm.
- Meanwhile heat up the oil in a large frying pan and fry the sausages on medium or medium-high heat until they are getting a great colour on all sides and cooked all the way through. When they’re done, remove them to a plate and keep them warm either in the oven on a low heat or cover them with foil.
- After removing the sausages, it’s time to make the gravy. Keeping the heat on medium, add the butter to the oil that’s already in the pan. When it starts to kind of bubble up a bit, add the flour and stir with a wire whisk to make a roux. Cook this for about a minute or two and then start adding the stock a little at a time, stirring with the whisk continuously. When the stock has all been added, season the gravy to taste with salt & pepper and continue cooking for another minute or two. It’s ready when you have a glossy, dark slightly thickened gravy that coats the back of the spoon, but still pours fairly easily. If you need to thin it out a little, add water a little at a time. If it’s not thick enough, keep cooking it for a few more minutes.
- To serve, divide the potatoes between two dishes and swirl the top with the back of a spoon to create some crevices for the gravy to sit in. Place 3 sausage across the top of each portion and spoon or ladle the gravy across the top and around the sides. Give it another crack of black pepper and it’s ready to go.
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