Bangers and Mash is a great British classic dish. And it’s just yum! Comfort food at it’s absolute best. Yet, I feel that I don’t make this enough these days, despite how simple a dish it is. If you’ve never tried this combination then do it, do it now! And I’m guessing you are most definitely not from, or in, the UK if you haven’t. I decided that I wanted to make a slightly grown up version of this classic, which is where the inspiration for the jus was born. It’s made with the sausage juices, rich redcurrant jelly, balsamic vinegar and a good glug of red wine. Beautiful! Sound intriguing? Give this Bangers and Mash with Redcurrant Jus a try!
Do you know why Brits call sausage and mash bangers and mash? It actually originates from World War I. As food was rationed and meat was scarce, sausages were often padded out with other ingredients such as water. This made them ‘explode’ sometimes during cooking as the water heated and boiled – hence the name bangers.
The Redcurrant Jus in this recipe is quite sweet, I added the balsamic to offset the sweetness of the redcurrant jelly a little. It does go beautifully with the sausages, but if you do prefer your sauces to be more on the savory than sweet side then you could reduce the amount of redcurrant jelly by up to half. It’s a flavoursome jelly so even by doing so you’ll still get a solid taste of the redcurrants in the jus.
I have to say, I’m sold. I’ll be making this dish far more often going forward. It is a particular indulgence for me though, as pork sausages really are priced at a premium, living in a Muslim country and all. It’s funny how something that is viewed as a simple and basic meal in the UK is suddenly a luxury for me.
This dish is definitely not the healthiest, or the lowest in calories. It’s comfort food at it’s best. Although I’ve not tried it, you could find lean sausages or chicken meat sausages which would likely bring it down a little.
Are you a fan of Bangers and Mash? Or do you have any twists on the traditional dish? I’d love to hear them.
Products that work well for this recipe
Joseph Joseph Scoop™ Ricer
Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan
Joseph Joseph Tri-Peeler
Bangers and Mash with Redcurrant Jus
1
servings10
minutes25
minutes700
kcalBangers and Mash – the traditional British dish, this time rebooted with a grown up twist and featuring redcurrant Jus. Plump sausages go perfectly with a gravy of sweet redcurrant jelly, tangy balsamic vinegar and red wine.
Ingredients
2 nice plump pork sausages (around 130g total weight)
2 tsp redcurrant jelly
1/2 cube chicken stock, made in 100ml boiling water
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
50ml red wine
2 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water
250g peeled potatoes, roughly cubed into 2 inch pieces
splash of semi skimmed milk
1 tbsp soured cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly coat a baking tray with a few sprays of light cooking spray (no need to pile on calories here, but you can use olive oil if you prefer – you don’t need much as the juices from the sausages will seep out during cooking).
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for around 10-15 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.
- Place the sausages on the baking tray and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for around 25-30 minutes. They should have turned golden but not burnt, and be steaming hot in the middle.
- Mash the potatoes using a masher or a ricer. Stir in a splash of milk and the sour cream – combine well. Add a lid to the pan to keep warm.
- Once the sausages are cooked, transfer to a warm plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Place the baking tray on the hob and stir in the stock, wine, balsamic vinegar and redcurrant jelly, bring to a simmer and whisk until the ingredients have combined well with the sausage juices.
- Slowly, a tsp at a time, add the cornflour and water mixture to the jus and whisk each spoonful well until fully absorbed. Do this until you have a thick gravy consistency. For cornflour to thicken sauces effectively the liquid needs to hit boiling point, so ensure that the sauce is simmering. You can read more about using cornflour here.
- Assemble the dish – add a pile of mashed potato, topped with the sausages and drizzled with enough jus to allow a decent moat of gravy to form around the mash – lovely!
Notes
- I used pork sausages, as they are my fave! But you can make with beef or other types of sausage too.
- The Redcurrant Jus in this recipe is quite sweet,. If you do prefer your sauces to be more on the savory than sweet side then you can reduce the amount of redcurrant jelly by up to half.
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