Bangers & Mash in Guinness Gravy

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Bangers & Mash in Guinness Gravy

Irish Sausages with mashed potatoes

Erin go bragh! Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you!

Two bangers on mashed potatoes smothered in stout & onion gravy

On Ireland’s national holiday, I’m going to share another favorite recipe. I really like the peppery zing of Irish sausages and this gravy makes a satisfying meal. (Feel free to check out my Irish Beef Stew from a couple years ago here) My previous blog post from 2013 focused on folk stories & music for celebrating Irish culture. This year I’ll focus on toasting.

Image credit: cafe press

My sister toasted me at my wedding with this one:

May you never lie, steal, cheat or drink.

But if you must lie, lie in each other's arms.

If you must steal, steal kisses.

If you must cheat, cheat death.

And if you must drink, drink with us, your friends.

Image credit: Ireland Calling

This one is fun:

May you taste the sweetest pleasures that fortune ere bestowed,

and may all your friends remember all the favors you are owed.

My own Waterford wedding flute with a pub linen print in background

And this one is sweet fantasy:

May those who love us love us.

And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles,

So we'll know them by their limping!

Image credit: photo bucket

Slainte!

No escaping it, St. Patty’s day celebrations usually feature celebrating with green ale, dark stouts, whiskey, Bailey’s and other lively spirits. I’ll avoid going off on how tiresome the drunken Irishmen stereotypes are (for now!) and instead go off on a tangent relating to managing food allergies when toasting.

Reducing risks when imbibing alcohol

Disclaimer – this information is intended for adult viewers of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly!

Drinking alcoholic beverages can be a bit tricky when one has food allergies. Some beers have hidden peanut or egg exposures (a component of egg may promote foaming), microbrews can contain a wide range of ingredients more commercial brews don’t – especially treenuts, many wines use egg whites and/or sulfites in their processing, egg whites are frequently used to clarify wines or cocktails, dairy is found in cream-based drinks and several liqueurs – like Irish Bailey’s Cream, and treenut syrups also feature in several liqueurs. Whiskey is made from fermented grain mash which may include wheat or corn. Some bars also use processed mixers with unexpected ingredients, like a commercial Margarita mix containing milk derivatives.

Additionally, there are cross-contamination risks if bartenders do not thoroughly wash out shakers and bar tools or handle ingredients without washing their hands in between. It’s very important for folks with food allergies to ask questions and investigate ingredient lists and bar practices to ensure safe choices.

To help navigate through potentially safe choices, focusing on peanut/treenut exposures, check out this blog post with a detailed list from The Nutfree Ninja as a starting point. I’m still looking for a more comprehensive tip guide for the top 8 allergens. I’ll post later if I can find one.

Also check out this blog post from Food Allergy Research & Education -FARE , "Going Out Without Breaking Out: How to Have a Fun Night Out With Food Allergies," which lists out general safety tips when going out to drink with friends.

Now on to the eating…

Bangers & Mash in Guinness Gravy

With minor adaptations, based on recipe from Kevin at Closet Cooking Blog - http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/03/bangers-and-colcannon-with-guinness.html

Ingredients:

    1 Tbsp olive oil

    1 lb Irish bangers (or other sausage featuring pork/beef combo and peppery spices)

    1 red onion, sliced

    1 clove garlic, minced

    1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (or ¼ tsp dried thyme)

    2 Tbsps whole wheat flour

    12 oz Guinness

    2 Tbsp honey mustard

    1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce*

    1 Tbsp brown sugar

Mashed potatoes or Colcannon (see my recipe from Oct 2013 here)

Fresh or dried parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, heat the oil in a skillet.
2. Brown the bangers, ~3 minutes each side. Remove to separate plate.
3. Sautè red onions in same skillet, until tender, ~6 minutes.
4. Now add in the minced garlic (and dried thyme if using). Sautè for 1 minute, should be fragrant.
5. Now create a rue for your sauce. Shake in the wholewheat flour over onions & garlic. Stir and let it cook for ~2 minutes – should smell toasty but not get too browned.
6. Now slowly pour in the Guinness, and measure out the honey mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Give a good stir to incorporate.
7. Drop in the brown sugar and stir to dissolve and incorporate.
8. Then add back in the browned bangers. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Remove the bangers again, to separate plate. If using fresh thyme, add in now and stir. Reduce gravy by about half; keep simmering for another 10 minutes.
10. Parse out servings of mash or colcannon in shallow bowls. Top each serving with bangers and smother in Guinness gravy. Garnish with parsley.

ALLERGENS: contains wheat

ALLERGY ACCOMMODATIONS: Always read labels and contact manufacturers directly with any allergen questions for prepared foods and condiments. I use sausages that do not contain eggs or nuts. The whole wheat in the gravy is used as a thickener; if avoiding wheat use a wheat-free, gluten-free thickening agent instead. Also double check labels on sausage – some processed meats use bread crumbs.

*I called Lea & Perrins customer service today regarding their brand of Worcestershire sauce. L&P states they are diligent in labeling for the top 8 food allergens and they use good manufacturing practices to avoid cross-contamination. In particular, they acknowledge they do use nut ingredients in some of their other sauces; however, they run those allergenic sauces through the line at the end of the day and then dismantle the machines to thoroughly clean and sterilize. Visit their website or call their customer service with your own questions.