Green Bangers and Mash

Pardon my radio silence. I got pretty sick and I just had to take a few days to mend. Now I'm back, and I'm ready to talk Irish pork products.

When you think of St Patrick's Day food, a corned beef and cabbage meal comes to mind. Unfortunately I just don't care for the taste of brined beef. Perhaps this is because it is disgusting, I don't know. If I'm eating Irish, I much prefer the pub favorite bangers and mash. Yesterday I experimented with the traditional version, giving it a little California love, making it more green (there's a secret ingredient), and a wee bit healthier. All of the components come from Trader Joes and the whole meal took under 30 minutes to prepare, making it easy breezy for next Monday night.

Green Bangers and Mash

Ingredients:

1 lb white potatoes, unpeeled, washed and quartered
32 oz chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
1 avocado
10 oz shaved Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
6 Irish pork sausages

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bring the stock to boil and add the potatoes, simmering until very soft. While the potatoes are cooking, toss the Brussels sprouts (mini cabbage) with the olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Lay out on a sheet pan and set aside, while you prepare the sausage. Lay the sausage on a separate sheet pan and pop into the oven. Allow to cook for 10 minutes, then using a pair of tongs, flip them, putting them back in to roast for another 10 minutes until firm to the touch. Put the Brussels sprouts in to roast as well. 10 minutes at 425 degrees will cook them through and brown the outer skins. While the sausage and Brussels are finishing up, strain the potatoes, reserving about 1/4 cup of stock for mashing. I use a hand held blender to get the potatoes started, then, secret ingredient, the creamy, buttery avocado. It sounds strange, but you don't pick up any avocado flavor. Add a few pinches of sea salt and the chopped basil, and puree until blended, but do not over mix, or the potato will get too starchy. Add more sea salt to taste. Plate and you're ready to "Erin Go Bragh".