This may seem like an overly complicated set of instructions for a humble sausage roll, but I've found that a couple of extra steps can really make the difference.
I've chosen to sauté the apple, rather than grate it, as I've found the latter makes the pork mixture too wet and not as flavourful. If you want to speed things up, then omit the apple and substitute with some caramelised onion or apple chutney.
If you're short on time, then you can always roll out the pastry straight onto a baking tray, add your sausage meat onto the pastry and make into a roll.
However, I prefer to chill the sausage meat in between, otherwise everything becomes quite gooey and tricky to cut neatly.
1 pack of ready made, ready rolled, puff pastry
400g pork sausage meat (or 400g pork sausages, meat removed from their casings)
Handful of breadcrumbs
1 small to medium Bramley apple (approx. 150g when peeled and cored)
150g fresh sage
Knob of butter
Seasoning
1 egg
To make the filling
- Peel and core the apple, then cut into small dice.
- Melt a knob of butter in a sauté or frying pan, over a low to medium heat, being careful not to burn the butter.
- Add the apple and sauté until the apple starts to caramelise. Remove from the heat to cool.
- Pick off the sage leaves and finely dice.
- When the apple is cool, add it, along with the breadcrumbs and sage to the sausage meat. Season to taste. (Note, if you are using pre-prepared pork stuffing, then you won't need to season the meat).
- Mix to combine, being carefully not to overwork the pork, or it will become tough.
- Divide the mixture into 2 and then, with floured hands, roll into 2 long sausages (they should be the length of the longest side of your pastry).
- Chill for 30 minutes (if you have time).
- Heat the oven to 200°C.
To make the sausage rolls
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and leave for 10 minutes.
- Unroll the pastry and then cut in half, down the longest length (see image).
- Lay one of the sausage meat rolls on the pastry, a few cm in from the edge (see image).
- Mix the egg in a small bowl, then egg wash the visible pastry.
- Fold the largest side over the sausage meat, and using a fork, seal the long edge.
- Repeat with the other sausage and pastry.
- Chill again for 10 minutes, if time allows, as this will make it easier to cut into sausage rolls.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the rolls into the desired length.
- Place them on one or two baking trays, covered with baking parchment.
- Egg wash the rolls and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
- Place in the hot oven for 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the sausage meat is cooked through.
