I Love Food with Funny Names

Bangers and mash.  Go ahead and get out the obligatory giggles.  That's Irish for sausages and mashed potatoes.

My favorite Irish restaurant is a one-of-a-kind: Shannon's Irish Pub in Glen Ellyn.  They have a great reuben sandwich, and their shepherd's pie is fab.  I love my traditional fare, but I had never tried the bangers and mash (yes, I'm going to call it that as many times as possible to prolong the giggle-fest).

I've had bangers and mash before at a different Irish place, but the sausages weren't substantial enough, and the mashed potatoes were dry and underseasoned, even with a hefty ladle of well-salted brown gravy.  This was a meal.  The four sausages were enough for a dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day, and it came with well-seasoned mashed potatoes (thank you!), baked beans (odd, but forgivable), and broccoli.

The mashed potatoes at Shannon's are what is called champ, which means the potatoes are blended with chopped scallions, giving them a mildly oniony flavor.  This goes so well with the sausages, and complements the little pile of sauteed white onion that comes alongside.

The sausages will likely strike most people as odd.  They're not overly porky, and the grind of the meat is extremely fine.  The flavor of the meat is not smoky, salty, or sage-y.  It's very fatty tasting, but not in a way that is unpleasant.  The overall impression of the flavor is acidic; it probably tastes beery, but I wouldn't know.

The real beauty of the dish is the marriage of the hearty flavors on the plate.  The beans and mash and gravy go perfectly with the sausage and onions.  To really "get it," you need to take a bite of everything at once.

The only thing that doesn't work is the broccoli.  Now, I'm not opposed to a good green, cruciferous veggie on my dinner plate.  But if you're going to feed me broccoli, it had better be something amazing, not just a butter-roasted floret.  Sorry, Shannon's, but if I want something healthy to go with my bangers and mash, then I'll order a side salad.

Oh, and the key lime pie is to die for.

Before I forget, one final giggle: bangers and mash.

Cheers,

~Amateur Foodie