Sausage and turnips a Southern take on British classic
Summer is here and the heat is on — in more ways than one. It is great to see all the fresh vegetables coming out of the ground and onto plates everywhere. It’s also a time across the world where political interest is at its peak, and that is especially true in Great Britain.
All the talk about Brexit led me to this recipe for a British classic dish, bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes in gravy), but one where only one of the ingredients is the true to the original — the brown gravy. Everything else in this dish is counter — lima beans replace peas, turnips replace potatoes and chicken sausage replaces the traditional beef or pork.
For more kicks, onion rings are added as a garnish, but they also add a good crunch and flavor to round out the dish.
The change in ingredients makes the dish a little lighter and fresher, but it keeps the classic comfort food feel. And hey, with any thought about politics, there’s nothing wrong with a nice helping of good ole gravy.
Alex and Eleta Morrison live in Macon and write a food blog, Bungalow Kitchen. Contact them at bungalowkitchenmacon@gmail.com.
Sausage and Mashed Turnips
2 chicken sausages
FOR THE ONION RINGS:
1 medium onion cut into rings
Buttermilk to cover
Hot sauce
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
3 inches oil in sauce pan
FOR THE TURNIPS:
1 turnip, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
FOR THE LIMAS:
1 cup fresh lima beans
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
FOR THE GRAVY:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef stock
Mix together buttermilk and hot sauce. Place onion rings in the mix and marinate at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil with salt pepper and garlic powder over medium heat. Add the turnips and cover, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until the pieces and tender and mashable.
Saute the lima beans with the olive oil, herbs and spices. Add water to cover the beans and cover. Heat until beans are tender, about 20 minutes.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in flour. Cook two minutes while whisking. Slowly add the beef stock and continue whisking until the gravy thickens. Simmer until ready to serve.
Grill sausages according to package instructions or until done.
Heat oil for onion rings to 350 degrees. Mix flour with the spices and dredge the rings until completely coated. Let sit five minutes before frying. Fry rings in small batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
To serve, plate the lima beans first, top with mashed turnips, sausage, then onion rings. Ladle gravy over all and serve.
Serves two.
This story was originally published July 12, 2016 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Sausage and turnips a Southern take on British classic."