Braised Sausages in Red Wine and Juniper Berry Gravy and Root Vegetable Mash.

“Bangers and Mash” must be one of the best known British dishes and for good reason. This is perfect cold, wet weather food! It warms and nourishes and will fill you up for the day. Braising the sausages in a rich sauce takes this powerhouse meal to another level.  Using root vegetables in the mash not only adds flavor but nourishment as well. Use the best quality sausages you can find. 

For the sausages and gravy.

8 best quality sausages
Olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon of juniper berries
1/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup chicken
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of cornstarch (optional)

For the Mash.

1 medium celery root
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
4 medium regular potatoes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Milk, half and half or cream (to mash potatoes)

Heat the oven to 350F.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and brown the sausages.  You may have to do this in batches.  Don’t overcrowd or the sausages will steam and not brown properly.

Remove the sausages to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.
Add the onions to the pan and cook on a low heat for approx 8-10 minutes, stirring from time to time to stop them burning.  Sprinkle over the salt and pepper

Place the sausages back into the pan with the onions.

Add the red wine, juniper berries, chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce.

Place the top on the Dutch oven and put into the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through. 

Before serving, remove the juniper berries if they haven’t dissolved into the gravy.  If the gravy needs to be a little thicker, spoon 1 tablespoon of gravy into a bowl, stir in the cornstarch, pour the mixture back into the gravy and heat through, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens.

Meanwhile make the mash.  Peel and chop the celery root, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.  Chop the celery root slightly smaller than the potatoes as it takes slightly longer to cook.

Place all the potatoes into a pan of water and boil until tender.

Mash together with a couple of tablespoons of butter and as much milk, half and half or cream as you wish.  Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle some mash onto a plate and top with a couple of sausages in their gravy and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

content source