Celebrating Heritage British Food & Cooking
Our Bangers & Mash consists of Cumberland sausages served with mashed potato and onion gravy. Traditionally served in pubs, a recent survey ranked it as Britain’s most popular comfort food.
What are Bangers?
Sausage Bangers surfaced during WWI and became even more widespread during WWII. Meat was in short supply and rationing meant sausages were made with inexpensive fillers like rusk or breadcrumbs. However, large amounts of water in the mix would result in the sausages bursting with a “bang” when fried. “Bangers” stuck and is still in use today.
Pricking sausages with natural casings has two benefits, firstly it allows the steam to escape. Secondly, it also means excess fat can drain away.
Cumberland Sausages:
Being probably the most famous of British sausages, Cumberland’s has been a regional speciality for over 500 years. Because they are made using chopped rather than minced meat, Cumberland’s have a distinct taste and a coarse texture.
Traditionally Cumberland sausages are made as a long spiral and cooked whole, rather than smaller individual ones.
County of Cumberland UK
Cumberland was a historic county of the UK from the 12th century until 1974 when it was merged into the larger county of Cumbria.
The name may have changed but the sausages haven’t.
Sandwiched between Lancashire in the south, Scotland in the north and facing west to the Irish Sea, it contained the Lake District, one of the most picturesque areas of the UK.
Since being granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in 2011, Cumberlands are a treasure of the British sausage industry. This helps to protect their heritage and authenticity in a world of fake sausages from overseas.
Guide to British Sausages
Find more information on British sausages at A Guide to British Sausages.
The perfect accompaniment to bangers and mash is my great onion gravy.
Other Recipes You Maybe Interested in …..
Recipe – Cumberland Bangers and Mash
Cumberland Bangers and Mash
Ingredients
For the Mash
- 1 kg potato peeled Maris Piper
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 Egg yolk
For the Sausages
- 8 Cumberland sausages
- Olive oil
Instructions
For the Mash
- Chop the potatoes into 2.5cm chunks.
- Add the potatoes to a pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Add a knob of butter, a splash of milk, salt and pepper to taste, and the egg yolk.
- Mash the potato until smooth and creamy with no lumps.
For the sausages
- In a frying pan over medium heat add a splash of olive oil and fry the sausages for 10 minutes turning regularly to brown on all sides.
Notes
You may also like one of my other recipes …
