I’ll be honest, with less than ideal weather over the past several weeks, it’s been difficult to get out to the Hillcrest Farmers Market, which, in turn, has made it challenging to write this piece. Fortunately, I found a wonderful package of Freckle Face Farm pork bratwurst in my freezer which provided all the inspiration I needed to hunt down this recipe.
Mind you, Irish bangers are a tad different than bratwurst, but what I had on hand was certainly close enough to execute an adapted version of the recipe.
First, I fried up my bratwurst in a cast iron skillet on medium low heat for about 20-25 minutes. You’ll find that cooking with the skillet gives the casings a nice crispy crust. Once those are done, remove from the skillet and set aside.
Follow the directions for making the mashed potatoes or use any of your tried and true recipes. While the potatoes are going, start chopping two onions and add to a large pot with one tablespoon of butter. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Add some salt and pepper.
Here is where I made my biggest modification to the listed recipe, as I wanted a thicker, less soupy gravy with my bratwurst and potatoes. I added one cup of red wine and 3.5 cups of beef broth to the pot. Bring the pot to boil for 25-30 minutes and reduce the liquid by two thirds. This makes for a richer, tastier and more concentrated gravy. Remove pot from heat, add the bratwurst to the pot of onion gravy and stir. Plate the mixture over a scoop of mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice.
You’ll find this easy brats and mash recipe to be packed with flavor and sure to please.