Bangers and Mash: A Swede’s Interpretation of Sausage Heaven

Without a doubt, I imagine that the very famous British dish “Bangers & Mash” has the quickest pronounceable list of ingredients. You need one unit of the active compound called “Bangers” and one unit of the active compound called “Mash.” Then just stir them together and you’re done.

However, it is more complicated than that. There is the active selection of the bangers; as well as the making of the mash. For instance, if you are thinking of using powder mash (and by powder mash I naturally mean instant mash), you are certainly doomed to a life devoid of the pleasures that the British Isles may provide for you. To get that lingering feeling you need real stuff.

First of all, let us start with the bangers. For this, you will need a good butcher. Now, there are not that many butchers and sausage makers left in Stockholm, just until recently virtually all sausages were made centrally in a few centralized sausage factories. But luckily for us Swedes, the trend of producing food locally has even swept this far up north and thus nowadays we can enjoy good, nutritious, organic, and locally produced meat and other groceries.

One of these local, organic, and small-sized food producers is Taylors & Jones. Taylors and Jones is Irish butcher David Taylor, and Welsh chef, Gareth Jones. They have been making sausages and selling British style cuts of meat in Stockholm for some time now, and business seems to be blooming. If you go there a Saturday morning, you will certainly see a lot of expats probing for some decent thing to eat.

Anyway, if you’re set on make a truly British version of the Bangers & Mash dish, or at least have the goal of coming close to the original, then it certainly helps by using British sausages. Therefore, last Saturday I went to Taylors and Jones and bought a couple of Pork and Leek and garlic and a couple of Regency Pork. I have tried many of their other sausages, such as the lamb and rosemary, but I really like Regency Pork.

With the bangers selection in harbor, you need to focus on the mash. This is the tricky part. To get a good mash you need good potatoes, preferably a floury type such as King Edward. Then you need cream and butter, as well as salt and pepper.

Start by peeling and cutting the potatoes into smaller parts.





Then boil until soft. When the potatoes are in the boil, fry the sausages. As I pointed out above, I bought both Pork and Leek and Garlic and Regency Pork. If you really like sausages, I imagine that you can tell which is which!








In the mean time, melt butter in a saucepan. I think I added about 50 grams of butter into the pan. Then add some cream – in this case I did not have any ordinary cream so I had to use sour cream, but it turned out just fine.





Normally, I do not add cheese to the mash, but a couple of weeks ago I was at a small reunion for the South African conference (for a quick glance, see here, here, here, and here) and the hosts had made a very delicate beef stew with cheese flavored mash potatoes, so I got inspired.



Therefore, get hold of some good cheese with character. I used Västerbottensost, which is a Swedish specialty. Grate the cheese and add to the butter and cream mix.




Then action! Pour off the boiling potato water and mash the potatoes, preferably with a potato masher (no, not this potato masher).






Add the hot butter/cream/cheese mix.

Whip it all together.



Then you’re done!







PS As you can see I added some peas, which, at frist seemed both unbritish and unconstitutional, but then who invented "peas and carrots?" We didn't!