Peel and roughly chop the onion and put it in a small pan. Just cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into even-sized chunks. Put them in a large pan with water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until soft enough to mash. Separate the sausages and put them on the grid of a grill pan. Grill them under a medium heat, turning them often, until they are cooked and well browned. Drain the onions. Drain the potatoes and mash them with plenty of salt and pepper, the butter and the milk. Drain the sausages on kitchen paper. Beat the onion into the mash and pile it on a plate wig-wam style, forking the sides into a pattern. stand the sausages upright around the potato and serve. Serves 4.

Cathleen's Bangers in rum sauce

Ingredients: 1 lb Shannon Traditional Sausages (Bangers), 1/2 to 2 oz rum (white or dark), 21/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Cook sausage until lightly browned in a skillet with a little oil. Drain on paper towel. Slice sausage into three equal parts. Steep in rum for 2 hours. Sprinkle sugar over rum and sausages making sure they are covered with liquid. Cook in 325 C oven for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling. Serve with cocktail sticks.
Serves 6 to 8