OSCAR WEEK – “Calendar Girls” & English (Pub) Grub Finger Food

Part II: Bangers & Mash Appetizers

[Click here for Part I: "To Cook Up a Movie"]

This is the second part of my mini-series inspired by the movie “Calendar Girls” in celebration of Oscar week. I am putting on a virtual appetizer table for a viewing party, featuring all English appetizers. Enjoy!

Bangers & mash is a mainstay in English pubs, and there’s a reason it’s the ultimate “pub grub”, as it goes so well with a good pint of ale or a bitter. It’s the perfect comfort food! Some versions of “bangers & mash” top it with onion gravy; I am topping the appetizers with caramelized onion instead. The “Germanized” aspect here is the fact that I am using German brats, but any kind of good (grilling) sausage will do.

Why the Brits call sausages “bangers” is beyond me, but in a blog post on “British Food”, a blog on – you guessed it – British food, the chief theory seemed to be that Brits just love to be weird.

Be that as it may, it IS a very popular dish, and wonderfully satisfying. If you want to, you can just make the mashed potatoes, leave the sausages whole and serve it like that, topped with the onions…

How do you like your mashed potatoes? Chunky or creamy?

Bangers & Mash Appetizers
(Original Recipe.)

Caramelized Onion Topping
Cut up a medium onion into thin disks. Add to a pan with olive oil and a tablespoon* of brown sugar. Fry until golden brown and done. Set aside.

*Denotes REAL spoons.

Bangers
6 classic brats, well done and cooled.

Chunky Mashed Potatoes
10 – 12 medium red potatoes
1 teaspoon* garlic powder or granulated garlic
113 g butter
100 g sour cream
about 50 ml of milk
salt & pepper to taste

optional: chopped fresh chives

*Denotes REAL spoons.

Cook the potatoes until done. Drain and rinse under cold water. Let cool a bit, then cut into large chunks and put them back into the pot. Add the butter in large pieces, the salt, pepper, garlic and the sour cream. With a potato masher, mash until they achieve the desired consistency. Add about 50 ml of milk (or more) if the mashed potatoes appear to be too thick. Optional: add chopped chives.

To assemble the appetizers:
Cut the brats into diagonal slices about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. Do not use the immediate ends. With a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop a dollop of mashed potatoes onto the brat slice, top with a ring or two of onion and insert a toothpick clear through the center.

To serve, set on a hot plate on “warm” setting.

Each brat yields about 10 slices, depending on how it is cut. Any leftover mashed potatoes will go great with your sausage ends.

[Printable Recipe]

Up Next: Sausage Roll Bites!