British Sausages - Irish Sausages

"What? Sunday morning in an English family and no sausages? God bless my soul, what's the world coming to, eh?" Dorothy Sayers, British writer (1893-1957)
Britain and Ireland have a long love affair with sausages, 5 million are eaten every day from breakfast sausage through to lunch, at barbecues and for dinner. British sausages are commonly referred to as Bangers because during WWII the sausages contained a lot of water and would explode in the pan. British food would not be the same without sausages or sausage recipes like Bangers and Mash , Toad in the Hole or the perfect picnic or lunchbox food Sausage Rolls

What Makes a Good Sausage?

A good sausage should contain at least 70% high quality meat, usually beef or pork or a mixture of both. The remaining content is seasoning and breadcrumbs. A good sausage should not shrink or explode when cooked. When buying British bangers always look for made with British meat, the quality mark or Little Red Tractor logo to ensure the sausages are of the highest quality.

Cooking Sausages

Sausages are so versatile, they can be fried, baked, grilled, barbecued and even poached. Whichever method you choose always make sure the sausage is cooked right through. To keep the sausage moist and juicy (and to ensure they are cooked right through) cook the sausages slowly. Cooking too quickly will usually cause the skin to burst and the fat to seep out resulting in a dry texture. Grilling is by the far the most popular and quickest cooking method. A good-sized sausage will grill in about 15 minutes, the skin will brown and crisp up and the shorter cooking time usually mean the sausage remains moist.

Sausage Recipes

• Toad in the Hole
• Spicy Sausage Rolls
• Bangers and Mash
• Perfect Mashed Potatoes
• Choosing the right potatoes for mash
• Onion Gravy