Two things should have sparked your interest here. There’s beer. And there’s sausages. In Australia we call them ‘bangers’. But we do have weird names for things…to make it sound more fancy I’m calling this ‘beer braised sausages’.
What’s important is that your sausages go in the beer and then you serve them with a hearty spoonful of cheesy mashed potatoes.
This is a staple item in our household. Do yourself a favour and get the good kind of sausages from the butcher.
Beer braised sausages (and mash)
Serves 4
Ingredients for beer braised sausages
1lb (500g) of your favourite gourmet sausages
BROWN ONION GRAVY:
1 red onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp of beef stock
1 cup of dark beer (or cider. Whatever is your preference)
1 heaped tbsp of all-purpose flour
1 sprig of rosemary
1 sprig of sage
2 tsp white sugar1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp freshly ground fennel seed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp tomato paste concentrate
PARMESAN WHIPPED POTATOES
4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 8ths
2 tbsp butter
3-4 tbsp of milk
¼ cup shaved parmesan
Salt to season
How to cook your beer braised sausages
- Toss the chopped potatoes into a stock pot of cold, salted water, and bring to boil.
- In a large frypan on a medium high heat, brown your sausages, with enough high heat oil of your choice to lubricate the pan, turning the sausages frequently. Once adequately browned on all 4 sides, remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.
The Beery Gravy:
- Add the 2 tbsp of butter to the still hot pan and fry the sprig of rosemary and sage to infuse into the oil. Once fried all over, remove the herbs and set aside.
- Toss in the garlic and onions, and turn up the heat to high. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. The juices of the onions will help to deglaze the pan.
- Once slightly translucent reduce the heat to medium high. Season with a pinch of salt, fennel seed, and pepper and sugar and continue to stir until almost jammy.
- Sprinkle with the flour while stirring to make a quick roux and then add the beer (or cider), mixing vigorously until the foam resides. Pour In the stock, mustard and tomato paste and mix until combined and glossy. If the gravy becomes too thick, add more water to loosen
The Braise:
- Return the sausages to the pan, ensuring that the sausages are submerged at least 2/3rds into the gravy and braise with a lid on for 10 minutes, turning once after 6 minutes.
Parmesan Whipped Potatoes:
- When the potatoes are fork tender and falling apart, drain and steam dry in the pot. Add the butter, while still hot and mash with a whisk. Pour in the milk and parmesan cheese and whisk until thick and glossy, almost the consistency of polenta.
To serve:
- Plate a large serve of potatoes at top with the bangers, and a liberal serving of onion gravy. Serve with steamed vegetables. To garnish, top with a sprinkle of the fried herbs.
