Mini Pork & Fennel Sausage Rolls
It’s wise not to forget about the simple things in life, and a good old-fashioned sauso roll is one of them. I love the mini ones because you get more caramelisation and crunch for your buck and, let’s face it, they’re a bit naughty, so making them small means you can eat more, right?
MAKES ABOUT 20 MINI SAUSAGE ROLLS
FILLING
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons freshly picked thyme leaves
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, roughly crushed or chopped
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes OR to taste
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork mince (ground pork)
1 small pink lady apple, grated
1 heaped tablespoon dried breadcrumbs
10 g (¼ oz) salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) tomato ketchup OR tomato sauce
METHOD
To make the filling, heat the olive oil, garlic and onion in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat, and sauté for about a minute until soft and translucent. Add the thyme, fennel and chilli, and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Add to the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and, using clean hands, mix thoroughly until well combined. Refrigerate while rolling out the puff pastry.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced. Line two standard baking trays with baking paper.
Roll out your rough puff into a 4 mm (3/16 inch) thick, 25 x 60 cm (10 x 24 inch) rectangle. Cut all four edges so you now have a tidy rectangle with straight sides. Next, slice it across the width into four roughly 15 cm (6 inch) strips. Arrange a 4 cm (1½ inch) width of the filling along the length of each strip, making sure you can roll them over to enclose the meat easily. Don’t fret if my measurements are not coming to fruition for you. If your pastry is a bit skinny, just place a skinnier strip of filling in it.
To finish, instead of tucking one edge into the roll, leave it open to meet the other edge. Brush some egg wash between the edges and press down with a fork to seal them together. Slice into 4 cm (1½ inch) pieces, then score each parcel with 5 mm (¼ inch) gaps on a diagonal without piercing through the pastry. Place the mini sausage rolls on the prepared trays, and bake for about 30 minutes until a deep golden brown.
Serve hot to have plain or with tomato sauce.