Herby Sausage Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

for the rough puff pastry

• 350g (12oz) butter, wrapped in foil and frozen
• 450g (1lb) plain flour
• 3tbsp fresh mixed herbs, very finely chopped (such as parsley, sage, chives)
• 1½tsp black peppercorns, finely crushed

for the filling

• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, very finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1tbsp finely chopped chives
• 500g (1lb 2oz) minced pork
• 125g (4½oz) breadcrumbs
• ¼tsp each allspice and chilli powder
• ¾tsp crushed fennel seeds
• 1 large egg, beaten, to bind, and 1 large egg, beaten, for glazing

you will need

• 2 baking sheets, lightly oiled

Method

1. To make the pastry, coarsely grate the frozen butter into a bowl using the foil to stop your hands warming it. Sift in the flour and add a pinch of salt. Sprinkle 2tbsp cold water into the bowl and bring the pastry together against the side of the bowl with a table knife. Add the herbs and pepper and mix. When it forms a smooth dough (you may need to add more water), divide into 2 flat rectangles then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. To make the filling, heat the oil in a sauté pan and sweat the onion for 15 minutes on a low heat until soft. Add the garlic and chives for 1 minute then cool. Mix this with the pork, breadcrumbs, allspice, chilli, fennel and 1 egg, and season well.

3. Roll out one of the pastry rectangles to 40x10cm (16x4in). Put half the sausage meat in a thin line down the middle and brush either side of the meat with beaten egg. Fold the pastry over the filling to make a long roll shape with a lip where the pastry joins. Trim the edges of the lip then press down on it with a fork to seal. Repeat with the second rectangle of the pastry and remaining sausage meat. You can gather up the pastry cuttings to make more rolls. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Glaze with the beaten egg.

4. Heat the oven to 200C, 180C fan, 400F, gas 6. Cut the chilled sausage rolls into mini rolls and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot. They can be frozen uncooked for 1 month; open-freeze them, then bag up into freezer bags. Cook from frozen for 25 to 30 minutes.