Tristans Sausage & Mash

Tristans Sausage & Mash

It’s one of the most popular James Herriot stories – Mrs Hall the housekeeper is away and Siegfried puts his brother Tristan in charge of cooking at their veterinary practice for the week. It starts well, with Sausage and Mash but when it becomes nothing but Sausage and Mash Siegfried is, once again, exasperated! In the book it ends with Siegfried escaping to eat in the Pub.  And in the TV series (Home and Away – series 3) it has an amusing end as Tristan tricks Mrs Hall into cooking Siegfried his favourite meal when she returns – you’ve guessed it, sausage and mash. Another sharp exit by the mischievous Tristan!

Sausages and Mash is a quintessential British dish that is served throughout Great Britain – especially in pubs. It is often called ‘Bangers and Mash’, a nickname gained during WW2 when meat was scarce and substitute fillings would apparently make the sausages explode with a bang.  Today it is still ranked as one of Britain’s most popular comfort food.

Which sausages?  Well, this is something you can go ‘ad-lib’ with.  I went with regular local pork sausages rather than the various herb flavoured version on offer but that is up to you.  When I chose mine at the local butchers I wondered if Tristan had used the same tasty smoked sausages that Helen used to buy in a shop on Darrowby marketplace?

Tristans Sausage & Mash
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Tristans Sausage & Mash

Recipe by Roger FrenchCourse: MainCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy
Servings

3

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
40

40

minutes
Calories

696

kcal

Note: I’ve added an onion gravy to this recipe. I love it but its optional.

Ingredients

  • Sausages

  • 6 x Sausages of your choice

  • Mash

  • 700g Potatoes

  • 30g Butter

  • 2 teaspoons Grain Mustard

  • 50ml Milk

  • 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
    (Just to add a bit of colour

  • Onion Gravy

  • 1 Large Onion

  • 20g Butter

  • 20g White Flour

  • 300ml Beef Stock (prepared as per instructions)

  • 1 1.2 tsp sugar

Directions

  • Cooking the Sausages
  • Pre-heat oven 10 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5
    I decided to cook in the oven simply to avoid the frying pan spitting all over the place and getting me in trouble.
  • Prick sausages and place in a small roasting tin together with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and put in the oven making sure you turn them every 10 minutes or so. Mine took a little over 30 minutes but I think different sausages will vary so just keep going until golden brown. Meanwhile, get the potatoes going..
  • Making the Mash
  • Peel and chop into quarters and then pop into a pan of boiling water for 20 mins.
    [now get the gravy on the go while they are boiling away]
  • When nice and soft, drain them into a colander and put back in the pan.
  • Add the butter, milk and mustard together with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and then get busy with the masher until nice and creamy.
  • Making the onion Gravy
    [OK, so Tristans effort didn’t stretch to a gravy but I really love gravy]
  • Melt butter in a frying pan using a low heat.
  • Slice the Onion, add to the pan and sprinkle the sugar over it and cook for 15 mins or so until caramelised – but don’t overcook.
  • While the onion is cooking make up 300ml of beef stock.
  • When the onion has caramelised sprinkle the flour over the onions and give a bit of a stir for a minute or so and then pour over the stock and simmer for a few minutes until nice and thick.
  • Bringing it together
  • Hopefully all three elements will come together at about the same time so plate it up with mash on first, bangers on top then drizzle with the gravy and a bit of parsley on top to give a bit of colour. Oh, and a mug of Yorkshire tea in my favourite mug – champion!
    suasage and mash with gravy

Notes

  • I decided to oven bake my sausages as all eyes were on Dad in the kitchen and a spitting pan would not be a good start to this project. But grilling or frying equally as good.
  • There are many other variations of flavour for the mash, or go plain. Just don’t burn them like Tristan did on that final day of Siegfrieds well intentioned project