Battered sausage

British battered sausage

The battered sausage is a standard menu item in fish and chip shops across Great Britain, often described as an "essential" staple of the fish and chip shop menu. They consist of a pork sausage dipped in batter (usually the same batter used to batter fish), and usually served with chips.

One Irish variation that can be found in County Meath is known as the "Boardsmill". Named after the small village between Trim and Longwood, it consists of a battered sausage that is split lengthways after cooking and filled with ketchup and onion.

Australia and New Zealand

In Australia, it may be referred to as a "battered sav" (saveloy is a type of sausage). This may also have given rise to the local expression "fair suck of the sav". In New Zealand, they can be found either with or without a stick inserted (similar to a corn dog). If served with the stick, it is referred to as a hot dog and usually dipped in a generous amount of tomato sauce and consumed immediately. In Australia, this variant may also be referred to as a Pluto Pup or a Dagwood Dog.

International comparison

Battered sausages are sometimes said to be similar in concept to a corn dog (a hot dog sausage coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter), although in fact all elements are different - corn dogs use a different type of sausage, a different type of batter, and are normally served on a stick. Traditional British battered sausages are not served in this manner.

Nutritional information

There can be 750 calories in a typical battered sausage and chips, but this varies greatly.