Bangers in Blankets
Bangers in Blankets are one of those things we genuinely look forward to every Christmas, and honestly we'd eat them year round if we could get away with it. Smoky, savoury plant-based sausages wrapped up in tender marinated aubergine strips, they've got that gorgeous charred edge and a depth of flavour that makes people do a double-take when you tell them they're fully vegan. The marinade does all the heavy lifting here, giving the aubergine that bacon-y, smoky quality that just works so well wrapped around a sausage. They take about 50 minutes start to finish and they are absolutely worth every single one of those minutes. Make these for your next gathering and watch them disappear before anything else on the table.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Large baking tray lined with parchment
- Mandoline or sharp knife for slicing aubergine into thin, even slices
- Toothpicks
- Aubergine marinating for 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 plant-based sausages - defrosted
- 1 medium aubergine
- 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 60ml olive oil
- ½ tsp smoked salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Method
Make the marinade
- Pour all the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and mix with a fork until the salt has dissolved
Prepare the blankets
- Peel and trim your aubergine, then cut it lengthwise into quarters
- Cut each quarter into thin slices (roughly 1/8 inch thick as you'll need 12 thin slices)
- Save any leftovers for a different recipe (like our Big Breakfast Bagel)
- Toss in the smoky oil and marinate for 5 minutes
Prepare the bangers
- Cut all the sausages in half across the middle
- Trim the cut edges to match the round ends
- Tightly wrap the sausages in the marinated aubergine, securing them with toothpicks
- Lay them on the lined sheet pan
- If you want to make the 'bacon' ahead of time and get them all wrapped up the day before, then go for it
Cook the bangers
- Put the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
- Baste the sausages with the juices in the pan and cook for another 5 minutes
- Baste again and cook for another 10 minutes
- Baste once more and cook for another 5 minutes
- Turn up the heat and given them a final blast of 5 minutes
- Take out the oven and serve immediately
Tips & Variations
- Slice the aubergine thin: We mean it when we say roughly 1/8 inch. Too thick and they won't wrap properly. A sharp knife or a mandoline if you've got one makes this so much easier.
- Don't skip the marinating time: Even just 5 minutes makes a real difference to how much flavour the aubergine absorbs. If you've got a bit longer, give it 10 and you'll really notice it.
- Make them ahead: You can assemble these a few hours in advance and keep them in the fridge ready to cook. Brilliant for Christmas Day when you've got a million other things on the go.
Why This Works
The trick here is in the marinade and the thin slicing of the aubergine. Get those slices thin enough and they become pliable, almost silky, soaking up all that smoky goodness before they hit the heat. What really makes these sing is the contrast between the slightly caramelised aubergine wrapper and the juicy sausage inside, it's that combo of textures that gets people hooked.