Bangers and mash

Both a regular favorite for either lunch or dinner in many English pubs and a filling homemade meal, bangers and mash consist of large pork or beef sausages filled with savory juices, served on top of buttery mashed potatoes and accompanied by a bittersweet onion sauce that is golden brown in color. The sausages started to be called bangers just after World War I, due to the fact that water was added to stretch the meat, so the fried sausages would burst loudly with a bang. It is recommended to use the bangers made by butchers who use natural casings and a mix of pork and just enough fat to preserve the flavorful juices. Aromatic pork bangers with hints of nutmeg and sage are a Cumberland specialty, while Yorkshire and Lancashire versions are based on beef. The potatoes should not be puréed, but broken down by hand with a potato masher, while butter and milk are added during the mashing process. Quick, cheap, substantial, and easy to prepare, bangers and mash remain a staple of English food, especially when accompanied by a thick, rich gravy.