By Lidey Heuck
Updated Jan. 25, 2024
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- 4(152)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The “bangers” in this classic British pub dish get their name from English sausages during World War I. Made with filler ingredients and a high water content, they would often explode, or “bang,” when cooked. The name as well as the appeal of this comforting dish stuck. Any sausages will work here, but pork sausages provide the most flavorful pan drippings for the onion gravy, the rich, brown sauce that really makes bangers and mash special. Serve with steamed peas or roasted broccoli on the side.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1pound uncooked pork sausage links, such as sweet Italian sausage or bratwurst (4 to 6 links)
- 2pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks (3 to 4 potatoes)
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Black pepper
- 1large yellow onion, cut in half through the stem and very thinly sliced crosswise
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1teaspoon minced fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½cups beef broth
- ¼cup dry red wine, white wine or beer
- 1tablespoon cider vinegar
- ¾cup whole milk, plus more as needed
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
562 calories; 26 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 1279 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Cook the sausages: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a fork, prick the sausages in a few places, then add them to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 4 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook until sausages are fully cooked, 4 to 6 minutes more. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a sausage should read 155 degrees.) Transfer to a plate; set the skillet aside, reserving the pan drippings.
Step
2
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large pot. Fill with water, add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
Step
3
Make the onion gravy: Return the skillet used to cook the sausages to the burner over medium heat. Add the onions to the drippings, along with a tablespoon or two of oil if the pan looks dry. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. (Lower the heat if the onions begin getting too dark.) Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Step
4
Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to brown on the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add the wine, along with ½ teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is reduced and thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, and season with black pepper and more salt, to taste.
Step
5
Return the sausages to the skillet, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Toss to coat them in the gravy, and cook over low heat just until heated through. Turn off the heat.
Step
6
Add the milk, butter and 1 teaspoon salt to the cooked potatoes. Mash until smooth, adding more milk if the potatoes seem dry. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
Step
7
Serve the mashed potatoes, sausages and gravy in shallow bowls, topped with fresh parsley, if desired.
Ratings
4
out of 5
152
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Cooking Notes
Howard Brown
A view from England. I wouldn't use olive oil to fry the sausages, it will break down and lose it's flavour and it's a waste. Bacon fat or beef dripping would be better or a neutral vegetable oil. Wine in the gravy is also a waste although beer would work well. When you say beef broth I assume you mean a beef stock cube? Most of which are pretty nasty, you would be better off using the water you cooked the potatoes in with some added vegetable stock powder. I would increase the amount of onions
Rose Ann Duncan-Charnley
Jolly Posh is a US company that makes outstanding bangers. I've ordered them several times....great English banger flavor and texture. They are expanding their inventory to include other UK products. Bangers and mash are a hit!
Lydia Sugarman
As a Southern cook who grew up watching her mother make all kinds of gravy, using broth or stock cubes is entirely unnecessary, especially if you've cooked your sausages in bacon drippings. Howard's tip to use the potato water is spot on.And, just be sure to cook the flour adequately.
Doug Staton
I cooked this almost exactly as the recipe specified. I did take the advice to use a neutral vegetable oil instead of olive oil, and I wish I had gotten more onions. The red wine made a great addition to the gravy. I used Johnsonville Irish O'Garlic sausages and the meal was a winner with both my wife and my daughter.
MARLA
If you live in the Chicago area, especially if you live near Midway Airport or in Tinley Park or near an Irish foods store, get your sausages from Winston's Sausages.Here is their website.https://winstonsmarket.net/winstons-sausage/
pat H
You can NEVER have enough onions, according to my husband.
DJ Clark
Thank you! I miss proper English bangers and could not imagine using a 'sweet Italian sausage' as a Banger.
Curt Clingman
“ Using a fork, prick the sausages in a few places”—yes, if you want them to “bang”. Use a pin if you don’t want them to explode.
Paul
I'd suggest that especially with Russets, cleaning and just halving them lengthwise, with the skins on, is a terrific alternative. In addition, 3/4 cup of milk seems too much to add when mashing – unless you like weak and uninspired mash. Finally, I add finely chopped yellow onion to the potatoes before mashing. I don't like the taste of parsley too much so I prefer to use spring onion or scallion for final garnish.
MM
This is a different kind of gravy; it has a distinct beef flavo(u?)r. Usual ingredients for the base would be either Bisto, Oxo (beef) cubes, or Bovril. The last two are hard (impossible) to find in the US because of restrictions on imported beef products due to BSE. I think they're exempt, but remain unimported.
Donna
Made it with local bangers from Stone Cross Farm. No open red or white wine so subbed hard cider. And drank the rest ;). Delicious!
sue willis
I love bangers and mash; it's a comfort food. If you don't have beef broth around, chicken will do fine, if you have no broth at all you can get good flavor in the gravy by adding some herbs like thyme and sage and dashes of soy sauce and Lea and Perrin's. I never used wine or beer in the onion gravy, but will try it sometime. This is not a famously healthy meal, but it is a great meal imo. Enjoy!
Sue
I'll admit this probably isn't the world's healthiest dinner, but we love it and that counts for something. (It doesn't seem terribly unhealthy.) I make it just like this recipe, but don't add red wine or vinegar. And if I don't have any beef stock around I usually do have chicken stock and that adds flavor too. I sometimes find English banger type sausages to use, but often use a good brat. This dinner comes together quick, which is important (to me), and the ingredients are usually around.
Julia
I would take "a view from England's" recommendation to eschew olive oil with about as much seriousness as I take England's contributions to superior culinary culture.
Sarah
I wouldn’t serve peas. Our tradition was stewed tomatoes, using some of the juices to help make the gravy along with the potato water. Make sure the sausages are well browned for the best gravy.
Yikesahootie
Where are the juniper berries?
Janet B
No need to use beef stock, use the water from boiling the potatoes and add a glug of Worcestershire sauce. Wine seems a little over the top, a brown ale would be good though. As a Brit, brought up in Yorkshire (James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small country) I cannot imagine how wrong this would be with sweet Italian sausage, just don’t do it! Bratwurst or Beer n Brats would be excellent though. Nicest if you brown them well enough to definitely be slightly black (lightly burnt) in parts.
Kathleen
I make sure the butter is soft and the milk is room temp. I also add a bit of the pan drippings or some broth for flavor after ricing the potatoes and whip it all together
Lulu
Not bangers and mash with Italian or sweet sausages. Bangers and mash is the most humble comfort food and cannot be replicated without proper British sausages, sorry.
Misa
So delicious. I made colcannon instead of straight up mashed potatoes because I had cabbage. The gravy was wonderful. I know some people removed the onions first, but I felt like quite a bit of the fat (for the roux) was caught up in the onions so I left them in and did it have any problems.
Adam Smith
Broths -- beef, chicken, vegetable -- are readily and cheaply available in cans or boxes in supermarkets with low sodium and no MSG versions.
Philomena
This is a horrid, modern Americanized version of a British classic comfort dish. Three garlic cloves? Bratwurst sausage. Yuck!
JT Mayne
If served with peas, make sure they are mushy peas!
Harry King
I'm a Brit and live in NewYork around the corner from Myers Of Keswick who make real British sausages. Bangers, Chipolata and Cumberland and how I make my bangers is, I put them in a small skillet then a 400 degree oven for half hour turning them once, delicious. As for mashed spuds, boil the potatoes, drain, add a fair amount of butter, salt, pepper, minced garlic and a small splash of milk and just smash them.
Carol Warren
I have ordered bangers and other items from Jolly Posh. The bangers are not nearly as good as the company-who-will-not-be-named that went out of business. And some of their other items, sourced from other companies and given a higher price tag, are awful. The Cornish pasty comes to mind
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