Sausages and Mash

I had promised my partner that I would make a wartime recipe that did not involve corned beef or cabbage, and in all honesty it could not come soon enough! I have been farting up a storm, evidently the issue of gas masks had its reasons! Joking aside though, I have noticed I don't feel hungry during the day and seem to have more energy, though it does feel like a more hearty kind of energy, rather than the zippy feeling you get from coffee. 

Sausages weren't rationed during the war, though this was mostly because there was very little meat in them. 1940s housewives would joke about whether they should spread marmalade on them, as they had more breadcrumbs than actual pork in them. For this reason I decided to only have one banger on my plate, as there was undoubtedly more meat in mine than there would be in World War Two. I decided to serve it with the remnants of the potatoes and swede by mashing them together, and covering with a gravy made from the grease of the sausages. It did make for a nice change, and considering a big chunk of the flavour of sausages comes from the herbs and spices used, I expect it would have been a dish that any family would look forward to. 

Ingredients

• One or Two Sausages per person
• 4-5 Potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 a Swede, chopped
• 3 Carrots, chopped
• 1/2 a Cauliflower, cut into florets 
• 500ml water
• 1 Tbsp Plain Flour
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Add the potatoes, swede and 500ml of water to a pan and set to boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove the cooked veg and mash them in an ovenproof bowl with a little margerine, salt and pepper. Place in a warm oven.
2. Add the carrots and cauliflower to the pan, keeping the previous water used to cook the potatoes and swede. Bring to the boil, then simmer for ten minutes.
3. Cook the sausages in a frying pan. Once finished cooking, place in an ovenproof dish and leave in the oven to stay warm.
4. Add a little margerine to the sausage grease in the pan, simmer gently. Then add the flour and stir through. Slowly pour in the water used to cook the vegetables, until the gravy is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Dish everything up and enjoy your one taste of meat in the week!