Photography © Brett Stevens

GOOD ’N’ SAVOURY

Sausage rolls

Most sausage rolls throughout my life have been disappointingly cardboard-like, but in recent years they have been raised to the gourmet platform by a few clever bakers. Make sure you use marbled minced meat in the filling: don’t go for that expensive, fat-free mince, as it will only dry out your filling. Also, keep an eye on your oven — they’re all different — and don’t let your rolls overcook, as that’s a sure-fire way to suck them dry too. Which takes us back to cardboard.

Makes 12

1½ tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, very finely chopped

1 large celery stalk, very finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) marbled minced (ground) pork

90 g (3¼ oz/1½ cups) breadcrumbs, made from two-day-old bread

1 tablespoon fine sea salt

1½ teaspoons ground white pepper

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves

¼ teaspoon ground celery seeds

1½ tablespoons ground fennel seeds

1 quantity of Puff pastry, or 3 sheets ready-rolled frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup) full-cream milk

Tomato sauce, to serve (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes, or until softened. Cool slightly, then add to a large bowl with the pork, breadcrumbs, salt, white pepper, sage, celery seeds and fennel seeds. Using very clean hands, mix together well. Really get in there and squish the mixture together for several minutes, to ensure it is very well combined.

Divide the mixture into six equal portions. Roll each portion into a log about 30 cm (12 inches) long and 3 cm (1¼ inches) in diameter. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, then cover and set aside in the refrigerator while you roll out your pastry.

To assemble and bake the rolls

Cut the pastry into six even strips. Keep one piece on your work surface and place the other pieces in the fridge to stay cool if your kitchen is hot.

Roll one pastry strip into a 15 x 30 cm (6 x 12 inch) rectangle. Place a log of filling in the centre of the pastry, running lengthways. Lightly beat together the egg and milk to form an egg wash. Brush this lightly down one edge of the pastry. Fold the pastry over the filling to meet the other pastry edge, then press together to tightly enclose the pastry. Leave the ends open. Cut the pastry log in half, to form two 15 cm (6 inch) long sausage rolls.

Place, seam side down, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush the top lightly with egg wash. Place in the fridge while you repeat with the remaining pastry and filling, to make 12 sausage rolls in total.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Bake the rolls for 30–35 minutes, or until they are golden brown and just cooked through. Serve hot, with tomato sauce if desired.