Rick Stein's 'secret weapon' ingredient for delicious bangers and mash - 'so comforting'

Bangers and Mash is both a pub classic and a meal so many Britons enjoy every week at home. The recipe has endless variations, but chef Rick Stein's version promises an added punch of flavour.

Sharing his creation on his BBC Two show, Rick Stein's Food Stories, the Cornwall-based chef said: "What could be better than bangers and mash with sausages like this? It’s such a great British dish.

"My gosh it’s so comforting, so yummy. And a good excuse to sip a little bit of red wine".

Rick's recipe uses a trio of elements; good quality Lincolnshire sausages, fluffy potatoes mashed with butter and cream, and a good serving of homemade red wine gravy.

It's quick to cook too, with everything easy to whip up in the time the sausages take to cook.

Bangers and mash recipe

Ingredients

• Eight Lincolnshire sausages
• Cooking oil
• 1kg floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edwards
• 50g butter
• 120ml milk or cream
• Eight spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• Salt and pepper

For the onion gravy

• 40g butter
• One onion, chopped
• One carrot, peeled and chopped
• Two sticks of celery, peeled and chopped
• Two tsp plain flour
• Four bay leaves
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 325ml red wine
• A good glug of Vin Cotto (optional)
• 450ml beef stock
• Salt and pepper

Method

First, peel the potatoes and cut them into 5cm chunks then cook in boiling water until tender. While the potatoes boil, cook the sausages in a frying pan, griddle, oven or even on the barbecue.

When the potatoes are fully cooked, drain them well and then pass through a ricer or masher to break up any lumps.

Be generous when adding the butter and milk or cream, then stir through the chopped spring onions and season with salt and pepper to make it "Irish champ". Keep this warm until the sausages and gravy are ready.

Now move on to the red wine gravy - Rick's "simple accompaniment" to sausages and mash. To make the gravy, melt some butter in a large non-stick frying pan then add the chopped celery and onions. Rick recommended cutting everything up into large chunks rather than dicing them.

Chop the carrots and add to the pan along with a sprinkling of sugar to encourage more caramelisation. Add the flour to thicken the gravy.

Demonstrating the recipe in an episode of his BBC Two show, Rick Stein's Food Stories, the chef said: "I am going to do an unpardonable thing and use about half a bottle of red wine. I know it’s very extravagant, but it makes a difference."

He continued: "Now for my secret weapon, vincotto, meaning cooked wine. You can make this yourself by reducing wine down with a little sugar. Adding about four tablespoons of vincotto will give my gravy depth and sweetness."

Finally, add the beef stock, bay leaves and thyme, then leave to simmer for 20 minutes. When time is up and the sausages are also cooked, finish the gravy with some butter for what Rick calls a “nice richness and glistening-ness”, which he “loves” in this kind of gravy.

Serve the sausages with a generous dollop of mash and a good pouring of gravy all over.