Irish Bangers and Mash (Sausages, Onion Gravy & Colcannon)

Who’s up for a skillet of juicy, Irish pork sausages, smothered in a rich homemade onion gravy and served with lashings of mashed potatoes and marrowfat peas? Yep, this Irish bangers and mash recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again!

Now while there are different versions of bangers and mash (or sausages in onion gravy) depending on where you live, the Irish dish is full of juicy, Irish pork sausages and creamy mashed potatoes. I love to take it up a notch with Colcannon, but I’ll leave that choice up to you!  

Ps, don’t just wait till St Patrick’s Day to cook Irish food like this bangers and mash for dinner. It’s delicious all year round and it would be an absolute travesty only to eat it once a year!

Here’s what you need to get started

• A batch of colcannon. Alternatively, you could also make this super creamy mashed potato recipe. I could pretty much eat colcannon every day, plus added greens always!
  
  
• Pantry staples – plain, all-purpose flour olive oil, beef stock.
  
  
• Worcestershire sauce. For a different-tasting gravy play around with substituting the Worcestershire sauce with stout beer, red wine, or leave it out entirely. Each will give you a totally different gravy. Think of the possibilities!
  
  
• 6 thick pork sausages. A traditional Irish sausage is a thing of beauty. While our local butcher makes a really good quality pork sausage, there is something about Irish sausages that just make them so damn good! So if you can get your hands on Irish pork sausages, then you’re in for a treat! If not use regular pork sausages, or substitute with beef sausages if pork isn’t your thing. Just remember that a different kind of sausage with result in a slightly different flavor. 
  
  
• brown onions and fresh garlic
  
  
• Unsalted butter. I always cook with unsalted butter, however, it will make very little difference if you use salted butter instead. 
  
  
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
  
  
• A can of Marrowfat peas. In Australia, our local Coles supermarket sells canned marrowfat peas in the International aisle. Can’t get your hands on marrowfats? Substitute with garden peas!

Additions

Try adding a teaspoon or two of seeded mustard to your gravy, a little horseradish, or add some fresh herbs. A good homemade gravy is only limited by your imagination.

Equipment

To make the colcannon, you’ll need a large pot filled with cold water to boil the potatoes, a skillet to saute the greens in, and a potato masher.

For the sausages in gravy, a large skillet or sauté pan, tongs, measuring tools, and a stirring spoon will get you through. I cook this recipe in my 26cm cast iron skillet.

Could you make this easy dinner recipe in a Dutch oven? 

Yes, you totally can. Just be sure to reduce the heat and cook the sausages only at low heat. Once the stock has been added to the pan, then you can increase to medium heat. Now I should mention that this only applies to a cream enamel cast iron Dutch oven. If yours is coated with black enamel (or it’s a seasoned cast iron pot with no enamel) then you can cook the sausages as per the steps in the recipe card.

The details

1. Start making the colcannon. Prepare a batch of my colcannon mash recipe.
   
   
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the sausages and cook them until golden brown on all sides and cooked through. (You may need a little more oil depending on the sausages. Feel free to add more if needed) Remove from the pan and set aside.
   
   
3. Start the gravy. If you have more than a tablespoon or two of sausage fat / pan juices, please remove any excess. Add the sliced onions and butter and sauté on low heat until translucent – about 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Now be sure to incorporate any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. This is what’s going to give you a delicious, rich onion gravy.
   
   
4. Once the onions are cooked, add 2 tbsp of plain flour. Stir through and continue cooking for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously. the onion mixture will look a little “gluggy”. This is totally normal.
   
   
5. Add 1/3 of the beef stock and stir through the onion/flour mix. Once it starts to thicken, add the remaining stock. Add the Worcestershire sauce and again, stir through.
   
   
6. Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes to deepen the flavor. The gravy will thicken and deepen in flavor the longer it simmers. At any time if you would like a thinner consistency, just add a little more beef stock.
   
   
7. Season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
   
   
8. Serve the cooked sausages with homemade onion gravy, colcannon mash, and marrowfat peas.

How to serve…

Spoon a serving of the cooked potato mash onto each plate. Place a sausage (or two) on top of the mashed potatoes, and then spoon over lashings of the delicious rich onion gravy. Pop the peas off to one side of the plate. 

You could also amp up the amount of veggies on the plate by adding cooked cabbage, carrots, or even broccoli to the mix.

Ok, now take it up a notch with…

A freshly made, just-out-of-the-oven loaf of Irish soda bread. Be sure to smother it with butter. Ultimate comfort food right there!

AND A pint of Guinness beer if it floats your boat!

Storage

Keep any leftover sausages for lunchtime sandwiches. Store them in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge. Leftover onion gravy is delicious over beef schnitzel or grilled steak. To reheat, either pop it into the microwave or a small saucepan and warm on low heat. If it’s a really thick gravy, you can thin it out by adding a little water and stirring through while it reheats.

Love Irish recipes? Try these ones…

• Traditional Irish Lamb Stew
• Bacon and Cheddar Soda Bread
• Easy Mushy Peas
• Guinness Bread
• Creamy Fish Pie