British back bacon solved; but I need help with bangers

Greets from London, gang, where I'll be forced to remain 'til Christmas--dirty work but SOMEone has to do it.

I've worked out a very simple procedure to make what tasted to me like proper British back bacon. Yesterday I went to Marks and Sparks, bought a packet of the real stuff, and cooked it this morning. Bingo! I've done it--and who knew it was so simple. (Recipe on requst.)

But I have failed miserably on the bangers. Try after try, not even close. Wrong texture, wrong taste, wrong everything. Do any of yinz out there in LTH-land have advice for me? It would be sorely appreciated.

TIA!

Geo

I love London at Christmas. I envy your "hardship."

As for great bangers, have you tried the Borough Market at Southwark? If you're looking for the soft, pale ones that are mostly filler, this place will also fail you, but if you one excellent sausages made with everything from organic lamb to wild boar, this is the spot. Paradise for foodies.

http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/
Or just do a Google search for Borough Market and then click on Images -- heartbreaking.

Oh -- and while you're in London, if you could drop into Rules and have a bowl of Stilton soup for me, I'd be much obliged. I like to be reassured it's still there.

Tnx Cynthia, you're the second person whose judgment I respect to direct me to the Borough Mkt. Obviously I've got to try it. And of course I'll try the bangers.

Geo

I don't have a store brand I can recommend in England, I'm more familiar with Irish ones like Denny's which I think you can buy there also, I've had much better luck going to a butcher's. As Cynthia suggested try Borough Market and Harrod's Food Halls are also a Disneyland of amazing products. They best I've had in England was in a small town in Devon called Lynton. I stayed at a B&B called Highcliff House and they sourced their sausages from a local butcher. I say you do a taste comparison and report back with the results.

Tnx mbh, I'll try to source some of those. At the moment, I'm relying on Marks & Sparks and Tesco. But I've found a butcher in Southfields that looks primo.

In the end, tho', what I want to discover is how to MAKE a decent banger! Once there, I'm home free, whether in KC or in Montréal.

Geo

mbh wrote:I don't have a store brand I can recommend in England, I'm more familiar with Irish ones like Denny's which I think you can buy there also, I've had much better luck going to a butcher's. As Cynthia suggested try Borough Market and Harrod's Food Halls are also a Disneyland of amazing products. They best I've had in England was in a small town in Devon called Lynton. I stayed at a B&B called Highcliff House and they sourced their sausages from a local butcher. I say you do a taste comparison and report back with the results.

I loved Lynton -- and I stayed at Highcliff House, as well!! Fabulous location. Don't know if the food is still excellent at Highcliff House, but we had a memorable meal there when I visited. I also loved taking the tram down the hillside from Lynton to Lynmouth. Did you get to Clovelly, too? Devon is splendid. I think second only to Cornwall -- though that whole area is glorious.

Geo wrote:Tnx Cynthia, you're the second person whose judgment I respect to direct me to the Borough Mkt. Obviously I've got to try it. And of course I'll try the bangers.

Geo

Once you go to the Borough Market, I suspect you'll become a regular. There's a bit of history at that market, too. If you're interested, I wrote a paragraph about it in a post I did on eating in London. http://worldsfare.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/london-for-food-lovers-part-2/

You've got me aching to get back to England now.