This is straightforward comfort food: well-browned sausages, smooth mash and an onion gravy with enough body to bring the plate together. Use the best sausages your budget allows and keep the mash warm while the gravy finishes.

Ingredients

Metric US Ingredient

6 6 good-quality pork sausages

900 g 2 lb floury potatoes Peeled and quartered.

120 ml ½ cup milk

30 g 1 oz butter or margarine

To taste To taste salt and black pepper

1 large 1 large red onion Thinly sliced.

30 ml 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil

30 g 1 oz plain flour

480 ml 2 cups beef or vegetable stock

Method

Put the 900 g potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until completely tender.

While the potatoes cook, grill or pan-fry the 6 sausages according to their packet instructions until browned and cooked through.

Heat the 120 ml milk with the 30 g butter until warm. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then mash or rice them until smooth.

Beat the warm milk and butter into the potatoes a little at a time. Season with salt and black pepper, then keep warm.

For the gravy, heat the 30 ml oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced red onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelise.

Stir the 30 g flour into the onions and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the 480 ml stock, stirring continuously so the gravy stays smooth.

Simmer the gravy for 5 to 8 minutes until thickened. Season to taste, then serve the sausages over the mash with the onion gravy spooned on top.

Useful notes

Equipment

Large saucepan
Frying pan or grill pan
Potato masher or ricer
Small saucepan or microwave-safe jug
Wooden spoon

Substitutions

Use vegetarian sausages and vegetable stock for a meat-free version.
Replace the red onion with two brown onions for a milder gravy.
Use olive oil and an unsweetened dairy-free milk for a dairy-free mash.

Allergen notes

May contain wheat, milk, sulphites or other allergens depending on the sausages and stock used. Check packet labels.
Contains wheat in the gravy unless a gluten-free thickener is used.
Contains milk if made with dairy milk and butter.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in covered containers for up to 2 days, or freeze the mash and gravy separately. Reheat once until steaming hot throughout. Cooked sausages should also be reheated until piping hot.

Tips

Choose floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edward for the fluffiest mash.
Let the drained potatoes steam dry for a minute before mashing so they do not become watery.
Add the stock gradually to the flour-coated onions to prevent lumps.

Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy

Recipe summary