Emmet's Bangers & Champ in Guinness Gravy
Champ: Quarter red potatoes and boil, skin & all, in salt water. Dice a bunch of scallions/green onions and stir into some milk in a saucepot. Heat it on low and keep it stirred so it doesn't stick & burn. When the potatoes are done but still firm (poke with fork); pour off the water. Put them back on the hot stove for a minute, chuffing them to evaporate the last of the water. Pour in the onions & milk, and mash up with a hand masher, just until mashed; too much and they get pastey...it's OK if they're still a little chunky, and you should see plenty of green, and smell the onions.
Bangers: Fry up some of your favorite sausages (Alternatively, roll them up in pastry dough and bake them until golden; about 30 minutes at 350 degrees).
Guinness Gravy: butter (not margarine) 2 large onions, peeled and finely diced (I like Vidalias myself) 1 cup beef stock (preferably the real thing from a roast; not that thin pitiful stuff from a can) 2 tsp flour 1 cup Guinness 1 tbsp malt vinegar & some salt & pepper, to taste
Heat the butter in a frying pan, and when it has melted add the onions. Stir and cook SLOWLY over a low heat for 25-30 minutes until they are completely soft and quite brown (the lower and slower, the more they caramelize and the sweeter they get). Meanwhile bring the stock to a boil and boil down until the volume is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Stir the flour into the onions and cook for a minute, and then add the stock and the Guinness (if you want garlic, add it just before the liquid, stirring just until you can smell it). Stir for a minute or two then turn down low and leave to simmer. If it gets too thick, cut with more beer.
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