Sausage rolls are a staple for casual party food or for lunch. They're so common that it is easy to forget what a great little dish they are: Buttery puff pastry baked to golden perfection that gives a delightful flakiness and crisp texture to accompany the hearty meat filling. Most home cooks will have their favourite herbs and spices to add to the mix. Many people use sage and thyme but for is it's the distinctly minty aromatic flavour of Rivermint - equally fresh and aromatic at the same time! We generously smear our Outback Tomato Chutney over the pastry before rolling to add even more to the deliciousness.
Makes at least 12 -15 smaller sausage rolls
Ingredients
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or very finely chopped
1 small onion finely diced
2 rashers of fatty bacon. finely diced
2 teaspoon of Rivermint (approx 4 g)
1 kg beef or lamb mince
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 whole eggs
salt and pepper to taste'
1 jar Outback Tomato Chutney
4 sheets of good quality butter puff pastry
egg wash - with a fork mix 1 egg and a shot of milk together
sesame seeds to sprinkle
Preheat the oven to 180C fan forced/200 normal.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the diced bacon and onion and garlicand saute until the bacon is cooked.
Transfer the bacon and onion to a large bowl , making sure you pour any remaining oil and fat to the bowl too. This will add to the meat and help it from becoming dry and crumbly.
Add the minced meat to the bowl , add all other ingredients. Using your hands (best) or a large spoon or fork, mix all ingredients together ensuring that you break the mince up so it can be evenly mixed with the other ingredients.
You should have a meat mix that will form into a ball easily and not break up. Put to one sie while you prepare the pastry.
Lay out the puff pastry sheets, leaving the ensuring you have the sheet of plastic face down on your board or bench. Cut each sheet in half.Use two of the smaller sheets at a time and keep the others in the fridge while you work.
Spread a approximately 2 generous teaspoons of Outback Tomato Chutney down the middle of each sheet. Use the back of the spoon or an offset baby spatula to spread, making sure to leave a good width of pastry clear on each side.
Work approximately a good half cup of the meat mix into a log that will fit the length of the pastry
Using a pastry brush on the clear width of pastry farthest from you. Using the plastic sheet beneath the pastry, roll the pastry over the meat, gently pulling the plastic sheet back toward you as you roll.
Cut the roll into the desired size and place on a prepared .flat baking tray with bakers paper.
Repeat for all pastry sheets , If the pastry tears while you are cutting it or pulls away, stop and place in the fridge to cool . Then cut.
Lightly brush just the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds . Bake in the prehearted oven for 25-30 minutes or until an appetising golden brown.
Serve withOutback Tomato Sauce for maximum yuminess.
copyright Juleigh Robins 2023