RECIPES: St. Patrick’s Day bangers and mash, hangover cure smoothie

WINNIPEG — Chef Rob Thomas offers up an Irish tradition for St. Patrick’s Day that he calls bangers and colcannon with Guinness onion gravy, but it’s better known as bangers and mash.

What are bangers? Sausages. And the colcannon, or mash, is mashed potato and cabbage.

Get your Irish on with some bangers and mash, finish up the Guinness — and if you overdo the Guinness, try out Chef Rob’s green hangover cure smoothie the next morning.

Bangers and colcannon with Guinness onion gravy

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WATCH: Chef Rob Thomas whips up classic banger and colcannon

Servings: 4

Colcannon

• 1 pound mashed potatoes, warm
• ¼ pound bacon, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
• 1-2 cups (250-500 ml) head cabbage, thinly sliced
• ½ cup (125 ml) green onions, sliced
• salt and pepper

Cook the bacon in a large pan over medium heat until it renders, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the butter to the bacon, season with salt and pepper and add the cabbage. Let cook until tender, about 10 minutes. When ready, mix into hot mashed potato, keep warm.

Bangers

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
• 1 pound sausage or bangers
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic, chopped
• 1 sprig thyme, chopped
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) flour
• 1 bottle Guinness
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) mustard
• 2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar

In a pan, cook sausages until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side, and set them aside.

Add the onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme. Cook for a minute.

Sprinkle in the flour and let it cook for a few minutes.

Add the Guinness, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar along with the sausage and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the sausage and continue to simmer to reduce by half about 10 minutes.

Divide the colcannon between four plates, top with sausages and gravy.

Hangover cure smoothie

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WATCH: Chef Rob Thomas wants you to be prepared for the morning after St. Patrick’s Day

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil (for brain function and glucose levels)
• 1 cup (250 ml) Greek yogurt (probiotics help to bring back digestive balance)
• 1 banana (for potassium and to help soothe your stomach)
• ½ cup (125 ml) spinach (for alkalinity)
• ½ cup (125 ml) frozen blueberries (antioxidants)
• 1 cup (250 ml) coconut water (hydrate and restore electrolytes)
• Honey and cinnamon to taste (mood elevators)
• 2-3 ice cubes

Get out of bed, blend all ingredients and serve.