#WhatsCookingChallenge - My PIMP'D Bangers and Mash :)
❤ Ola Foodies ❤
So on Friday I had one of my nephews over for a playdate for Jude and figured it was as good a day as any to then have his mom and dad over for dinner :) So, I wanted to make something that would be enjoyed by everyone - especially the kids... Now, I know that Bangers and mash seems like such a "gewone" meal (thats Afrikaans for "common/ordinary") - but I can assure you - there is absolutely NOTHING "gewone" about my bangers and mash - hehehe!
I am a HUGE fan of both pork bangers AND mash, so the two together, even served plainly, is a fav of mine... but I have transformed it to make it more appealing to those that are not quite as enthusiastic about it as I am... hehehehe!
#WhatsCookingChallenge - My PIMP'D Bangers and Mash :)
🍴
Ok, so first off these are the FUNDAMENTAL things you will need:
pork bangers (duh!)
Cubed sweet potato (or traditional potato - just I don't eat them anymore)
Bacon rashers
Fresh rocket
A sweet bell pepper (colour of your choice)
3 onions
Gravy of your choice (I use brown onion)
Balsamic Vinegar
Sugar
Right - so I am sure nobody here really needs a lesson on how to make mashed potato so I am going to pretty much skip that part - although I will say two things... the first being, that the secret to any REALLY delicious mashed potato... is REAL BUTTER and fine black pepper... and the second being, that you make sweet potato mash, PRECISELY the same way you would make normal mash. If any of you are NOT successful with making a tasty mash potato, I will GLADLY do a post on it, just shout! (My mash - which is essentially my mothers mash haha - is rather famous... one of my ex boyfriends even wrote a song on his guitar about it... hahahaha!!!)
Anyhooo..... moving along swiftly lol...
Right, so... boil your potatoes and make your mash....
Some people like a completely smooth mash. Personally, I prefer a little bit of "chunk" in it...
Once that is out of the way, the fun stuff starts...
Fry or grill your pork bangers until they are golden and delicious looking.
I normally would have opted for grilling them,
but the oven was otherwise engaged at the time as you will discover shortly...
In fact, if I am VERY honest...
Jude and I both prefer our bangers boiled... lol
yeah... don't all run away in horror now! hahaha!
I mean they get draped in gravy anyway, so who cares... lol
but, seeing as we were having guests,
I figured I would at least make the darn things look pretty ;)
So while the bangers are sizzling,
take your bacon rashers and lay them out
on a non-stick roasting pan (or at least spray it with some non-stick)
and stick those babies under the grill!
You want them to come out REALLY crispy,
Almost biltong like
(biltong is the South African version of Jerky - except WAY more awesome hehe)
right, so now you know why the oven was otherwise engaged...
While both of those beauts are busy,
VERY thinly slice up your bell pepper.
I chose to go with green,
because I planned to add red tomatoes as a garnish
and technically, the potato is representative of yellow.
Colour balance on a plate is super important to me...
can you tell? ;)
Once you are done with the bangers, the bacon and the bell pepper,
heat a pot with some olive oil and slice the onion into rings.
Not too thin, not too thick.
When the oil is heated, add the onions,
a dribble of balsamic vinegar (don't be too heavy handed...)
a sprinkling of sugar,
and salt to taste.
Sauté those until they are nice and golden,
almost sticky looking.
(Not ACTUALLY sticky - but sticky looking lol)
Be sure to stir that frequently - otherwise they WILL burn!
Once you are done with the onions,
you are pretty much done,
except for making your gravy.
As mentioned earlier,
I find a brown onion gravy the BEST match for this dish.
Time to plate,
and with this version of mine,
the plating is rather vital!
It needs to be somewhat stacked,
not unlike a dagwood burger...
So, the potato first,
then the caramelised onions,
then three bangers per portion,
some gravy over it all,
then the bacon rashers,
followed by the bell pepper slices,
and finally, a few sprigs of fresh rocket
and two or three cherry tomatoes.
GRUBS UP!! ;)
🍴
If you like Bangers and Mash at ALL...
I can Promise you that you will NOT REGRET
making this ;)
oh and as promised... here is the "torture tag"
@raymondspeaks @zord189
PS. I am still waiting for entries from @braaiboy and @therneau ;)
and my new nominations go out to:
@farhanafarha
@creativewoman
@flamingirl
@hustletoparadise
@leftbank
Confused about the challenge? See my footer :)
🍴
……
Until next time...
Much Love from Cape Town, South Africa xxx
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What the? Wow! This dish is AMAZING! I'm not sure I could get everything to look as perfect as you have but I am willing to Try! Thank you for sharing. Yum!!
I love this new challenge and "the luv bug," as you know I try to do this all the time. I will definitely use the tag. Can I also have permission to use the gif? its so cute!!
PS. Torture tag gif for Ray Ray and Zord is Hilarious!!
hehehe @eaglespirit - I am sure you will do it EQUALLY as fabulously!!!! Main point being, that you ENJOY IT! :) Thank you VERY much for such an energetic and awesome response xxx I want to SEE it when you make it :)
oh and as for #theluvbug - yes you are welcome to add the footer to your posts :)
I do not think so, but i will give it the Jaynie try!!! You have a special classy to you that I only wish I had, I mean comon that bacon looks chef made and the plating is amazing. I'm just happy I don't eat from paper plates. I will make it and definitely show you. :)
Yay for the permission, thank you so much!!
hehehe I look forward to it @eaglespirit :)
you are one of the sweetest ladies i know ... i always wish you the best in all you do. hugs.
Thank you angel. Right back to you xxx
Hey @jaynie , I actually did so something over the Easter weekend and took some snaps for my post... but they were pretty crappy, so I've procrastinated in getting the post up :P
Will have it up before the end of the week... promise :-)
What's your excuse @therneau? hahahahaha :P
Yeah dude, just been too busy to post... You'll see my blog is looking rather pale lately :(
hahaha no worries @braaiboy ;) Take your time.... I will just continue to harass you! lol kidding :)
This looks really yummy. My bangers and mash are always a quickie with instant mashed potatoes and packaged gravy. Who besides you would have thought of adding bacon and caramelized onion. What a wonderful addition! What is rocket? Here's what it is here:
WAAHAHAHAHA.... This is Rocket Roger :P (hehehehe) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eruca_sativa
Packet gravy is passable....
Instant Mash?!!!!??!!!!
I have only ONE response to that lol
If you do make it.... don't you DARE feature any dehydrated potato lol I will downvote you hahahaha ;)
oh an PS. When Jude and I are alone, it is also very simple: mash, bangers and peas..... and I boil the bangers too hahahaha!
When I was on the submarine, all that they ever made was instant mashed. It took years and years after I got out to eat any kind of mashed potato even fresh! haha! Do you ever make mashed cauliflower? Tastes pretty close to mashed potato, but no carbs. Thanks for the wiki on rocket. I didn't think it was the arugula!!! hahaha!
hehehe sounds like my mom, boarding school and milk. lol - and yes, when we were "banting" seriously, all I ever made was cauli mash and cauli rice... so much so that I could not look at cauli anymore, which REALLY did NOT work for me, because I LOVE cauli in white sauce.... so now, I stick to sweet potato mash hahaha :)
Your potatoes in the photo looked like regular white potatoes. Is that what you call "sweet" potatoes? or did I miss something? Here sweet potatoes are orange and are sweet like yams.
We get both kinds here.... @rwedegis - oddly enough, the ones with the pink/red skins are white underneath and the ones with the yellow/orange skins have very orange inners. I prefer the whiter inners. :)
These are the ones I cooked....
Thanks @jaynie! I can see why you would prefer that color for this dish. i think that it makes the presentation much more appealing! I bet it tastes wonderful!
You can let me know... when you try it @rwedegis :P
can't stop giggling at the torture tag
You are most definitely a foodie supreme! I am beyond impressed at how you take a simple dish like bangers & mash, and make it look like it belongs in a magazine!
While I much prefer homemade mashed, we always have a big container of instant flakes in the pantry, for those days we're lacking in fresh. And I know I raised my kids right, because for her birthday dinner, the youngest requested my homemade meatloaf and "mashed potatoes from the box." 😂
Growing up, we had A LOT of boiled hot dogs. I can't even with the thought of dropping a sausage in water... 😮
hahahaha thanks @traciyork... I am going to invite you over for some boiled sausage... LOL!
via GIPHY
hehehehehehehe!!!!!!
SOMEONE PLEASE WIPE THE DROOLE OFF MY FACE!! Gosh That looks YUMMY! I haven't had a good banger in a long time... bangers and mash that is 🤪
hahahaha ;) Enjoy !!!!
This looks so yummy. I love pork bangers too and you can do so much with them. Don't know about boiling them though....that's the first time I've heard that haha.
Most people look at me like I am from mars when I say that @jusipassetti LOL!!! but the reality is, they are SO much juicier - and its SO much easier when you are exhausted. lol (cover them in gravy and nobody is the wiser hahahaha ;)
really testy food & delecious
Thank you :)
I LOVE BANGERS AND MASH, salivating here looking at your photos!!!!! Bookmarked this recipe and resteemed!
Awesome plating too. You are too talented, @jaynie!!!
hehehe glad it made you drool @happycrazycon ;) and thanks for the resteem. Much appreciated hon xxx
Haha, calling us out I see. Sorry, I'll get there. Atm, I'm taking a beating from the Real world ;)
That looks great though. Nicely done :)
hahaha yip indeed @therneau :) And thank you! No rush, re. the challenge... its ongoing so - whenever you are good and ready ;) Hope life takes it easy on you! :)
Ohw my! That looks so delisyoso! The bangers and the bacon are so deng tempting. haha. I wanna try this for my bruther. He loves pork more than his girlfriend. I swear. haha. Anyways, I don't mind boiling the bangers, I do that for the pork chorizo too. You put them in a pan, add maybe a cup of warm water then let it soak in there, boil it up and when it's almost dried up it releases it's own oil and juice frying itself in the pan, marrying its own oil and there you go, you have the sizzling and tastier banger! :)
YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!