She Said:
I was trying to plan dinner yesterday and I looked in the freezer for some sort of protein. I pulled out a package of chicken & turkey mild Italian sausage. And that became my starting point. After looking around for recipes that had only ingredients that I already had on hand, this is what I found. Naturally, as I always do, I tweaked it a little.
Not-So-Classic Bangers and Mash
Makes 2 servings.
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 package very low sodium chicken instant broth & seasoning
1/2 cup warm milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
Olive oil
4 links chicken & turkey sausage
1/2 large onion, sliced and separated into rings
About 2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
Get the potatoes started in water as you would for regular mashed potatoes. Boil for 20 minutes or so. Drain, leaving the potatoes in the pan.
At the same time, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Prick the sausages in a few places with a fork, and place them into the skillet. Cook, turning often, until golden brown and juices run clear. This should take about 20 minutes. Internal temperature should be 165ยบ.
While the potatoes and sausages are cooking, start the gravy. Melt together 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour to make a roux. Cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the beef broth and whisk until smooth. Heat to boiling; boil and stir for 1 minute. Leave on a low heat to keep warm and add more beef broth as needed for the consistency desired. You can season to taste, if you wish.
Heat up the milk in a microwave or saucepan. Stir the instant broth into the milk until dissolved. Stir the milk mixture and melted butter into the cooked potatoes. Mash or whip the potatoes until smooth and creamy.
When the sausages are done, take them out of the skillet and place onto paper towels on a plate. In the same skillet, add the onion rings. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onions are golden and wilted, about 5 minutes.
To serve, scoop the potatoes onto the plate, arrange the sausages over the potatoes, top with the onions, drizzle with the gravy and sprinkle with oregano.
This was such a fun meal to eat and it was delicious! I was really surprised that I liked it as much as I did. I love that it was all made with things we had on hand. And did you notice? Almost no salt whatsoever. I don't know what's happening but we rarely use salt any more in our cooking and eating. It's just not that appealing any more. Go figure!
We had leftover potatoes, so they will be part of tonight's dinner. There is no wasting of mashed potatoes in this house!
Oh, the recipe said to pair this with a syrah. I didn't know if it would still work because it wasn't pork sausage, but that's what we had. And it worked beautifully!
The wine we had was a 2005 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz. It's a little pricey for a mid-week wine (at around $23) but we're running low on the cheaper stuff, so what choice did we have? :-)
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Bangers and Mash - Lightened Up (Accidentally)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Black Lab Bistro
Phoenixville, PA
12/12/07 6:00 PM
Dinner was $110 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts.
He Said:
"Be stern", I told myself. "No quarter asked or given! Ruthless reviews!", I decided as She and I headed to the Black Lab Bistro, a smaller but finer restaurant in the heart of newly refurbished Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Well, maybe I can be ruthless next review because, frankly, try as I may, I could find no fault in the entire evening.
We got there early, because we're old and that's what old people do, and were seated immediately by a very friendly hostess. The entire staff, all night actually, was superb. Courteous, helpful and not all up in your grill, if you know what I mean. I started my meal off with the Duck Confit Gyoza which was, ohmygod, delicious. Little duck egg rolls in a mango hoisin sauce. Wow! Then for dinner, because anything worth doing is worth over doing, I got the surf and turf. Filet Mignon (rare, please) covered in Bearnaise sauce, a nice sized broiled lobster tail and some assorted vegetables. I took my first bite of the filet and .....
*THUD*
Once revived, I launched into the lobster with drawn butter and ....
*THUD*
I think that the fainting was starting to annoy the staff but they were very kind and hardly mentioned it at all. Everything was cooked to melt in your mouth perfection. The rare steak was actually rare (but not purple), the lobster was firm but tender and ohsosweet. Even the veggies were tender and tasty. The Kentucky Pecan Tart with Bourbon Ice Cream that I had for dessert was very good but the real star of the show was the entree. Absolutely fabulous. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.
Oh, and did I mention the wine that we brought with? It was an unbelievably good 2003 Miner Cabernet Sauvignon. The waiter popped the cork (with ease, which is always a relief at a BYOB), I took my first sip and, you guessed it,...
*THUD*
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She Said:
The one in which I am as politically incorrect as I can be. I moaned and gasped through my appetizer - Bella Foie Gras (Sour Cherry Gastrique Sauce, Parsnip Puree, Micro Cilantro) - I do so love me some foie gras! I made yummy noises all the way through my entree - Veal Tenderloin Medallions (Tart Apples, Cippolini , Cider Reduction) served with smokey mashed potatoes, green beans and herbed carrots. And I was reduced to giggles by my dessert - Chevre Panna Cotta, Macerated Gran Marnier Strawberries with Pistachios.
Good lord! There is a reason that this is our favorite restaurant, folks! This was an unbelievable meal. And stop looking at me like that! I know it's not cool to eat foie gras or veal but, damn, I couldn't help myself! (I just hope the strawberries were not an endangered species...)
Oh, and since this place is a BYOB, we brought along an exquisite bottle of 2003 Miner Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville. Tremendous!! (A DEFINITE "1st Bottle of the Night" wine - very expensive for our normal price range - I think we paid $56 for it - but OH.SO.GOOD!)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
2004 Newton Red Label Claret
11/27/07
Blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot $22
He Said:
First of all, this wine starts off on my good side for
A) Being a Bordeaux-Style wine and
B) Being a blend
I'm not sure why but I think I like most things blended, particularly wines (and chili! Shhh!), and this Newton Claret has one has my absolute favorite "blending wine", cabernet franc. Yum! Anywho, this wine has a bold in-your-face nose that wow'd me from first sniff. Then, after an artful swirl or two, I discovered a wonderful full taste of dark berries - blackberries, blueberries and a little plum for good measure. This is a great stand-alone wine as it does not need food to bring it to life, although I wouldn't say 'no' to a nice cheese plate, if you get my drift.
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She Said:
Editor's note: This will become a common theme throughout this entire site as time goes on - we love the blends! And not just wines - cheeses, chilis, coffee, etc. Blends tend to be better than anything standalone.
This was my first taste of a Newton wine and I was not disappointed. Chock-a-block full of fruit and tasting like a familiar friend. After all, one of my ultimate favorites is Estancia's Meritage - another Bordeaux-type blend. This is reminiscent. And just a little bit cheaper. I'll keep this on my list of wines to buy when I can find it.