Like many people, when I am under the weather, I resort to comfort food. And there are few things more comforting that sausage rolls.
Yesterday, with the onset of a stonking cold, I decided to use up some pork mince by making a version of sausage rolls. It is easy and quick but I added lots of flavour to make them feel more decadent and a bit more grown up.
You can, of course, use sausage meat if you prefer. However, I like the extra texture that you get from minced pork. You could use a mix of sausage meat and pork mince too. Entirely up to you.
And I genuinely believe that life is too short to make puff pastry so I always use shop bought pastry. If you are more energetic than me and make your own, I am impressed.
I like a spicy tomato sauce with sausage rolls but the choice of sauce is entirely yours.
Posh Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
500g pork mince
3 rashers of bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup of breadcrumbs (soaked in milk for a couple of minutes and then drained)
Ready rolled puff pastry
1 tsp chopped sage (or 1/2 tsp dried sage)
A glug of Worcestershire sauce
A pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tsp fennel seeds
A small grating of fresh nutmeg
Sesame & nigella seeds for topping
Instructions
1. Pre heat oven to 190 degrees (170 degrees fan)
2. Chop the bacon finely and cook it with the onion. Do not fry them at high heat – you want the onions to soften and the bacon to be cooked through. Set aside to cool.
3. Put the pork, onion, bacon, sage, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and fennel seeds in a bowl and combine thoroughly.
4. Put lines of the pork mixture on the pastry and seal with beaten egg. Cut to size, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle sesame and nigella seeds on the top.
5. Bake for about 30 mins until the pastry is golden brown and the pork is cooked.