Homemade Sausage Rolls
The secret is the bacon..." It really takes this sausage roll to another level! Also, sautéing the onion and celery before mixing into the filling makes it sweet and more moist than the usual, and using panko instead of normal breadcrumbs also contributes to making the filling of this sausage roll so moist.The addition of fennel adds an extra burst of flavour but it's optional. Pork and fennel are great mates and though most everyday suburban bakeries won't use it, you'll find better bakeries use it (like Bourke St Bakery). If you're wary, drop it to 1/2 teaspoon. Or just skip it!
Ingredients
FILLING
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 brown onion small, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 150 g bacon finely minced (streaky and fatty, not the lean stuff!)
- 2 tsp fennel seeds toasted (optional) (Note 1)
- 500 g pork mince ground pork (not lean)
- 40 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ▢ Black pepper
BAKING & SERVING
- 2 1/2 sheets puff pastry thawed then each cut into half (Note 3)
- 1 egg lightly whisked
- ▢ Ketchup / tomato sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Sauté garlic, onion & celery for 2 minutes, then add bacon.
- Cook for a further 2 minutes (don't make bacon golden) then transfer to bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add remaining Filling ingredients into the bowl. Use your hands to mix well.
- Lay out a rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Brush egg along one long edge.
- Get 1/5 th of the filling and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps.
- Brush edge of pastry with egg. Then roll up, finishing with the seam side down.
- Roll up, sealing on the edge with egg wash on it .
- If you have time/patience, refrigerate for 1 hour (makes it easier/neater to cut)
TO COOK
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Cut each log into four equal lengths, or just two if you want full size sausage rolls. Brush with egg.
- Place on 2 baking trays lined with baking paper (or sprayed with oil). Bake for 30 - 35 minutes in total, swapping tray shelves at 20 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown. (Note: The filling will still look pink because of the bacon, but it's easy to tell from texture that it's cooked)
- Cool slightly on trays. Serve hot or warm with tomato sauce or ketchup!
Notes
Toasted fennel seeds (optional) - heat small fry pan over medium heat. Add fennel. Shake pan and toast for 1 - 2 minutes, until you can smell the fragrance of the fennel seeds.
See summary above for background on fennel seeds. If you're wary, decrease to 1/2 teaspoon. Or skip it entirely!
2. Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese breadcrumbs which are larger than normal ones. For crumbed/breaded things, it makes them even crunchier. For fillings, they make the filling less dense, more moist. You can find them in the Asian section of most supermarkets in Australia nowadays (see here for Woolworths) and even alongside normal breadcrumbs.
You can substitute for normal breadcrumbs, but reduce the quantity to 1/2 cup otherwise the filling won't be as moist.
3. Puff pastry in Australia comes in sheets that are 25 x 25cm / 10 x 10" squares. Cut them in half so you have five 25 x 12.5cm / 10 x 5" rectangles.
4. To make ahead: Best assembled, cut, then frozen or refrigerated unbaked. Place in an airtight container in single layers with baking paper between each layer. Brush with egg wash just before baking (optional - could just spray with oil, helps make it golden). Bake from frozen for 40 minutes, or from fridge per recipe.
It is perfectly safe to thaw then refreeze puff pastry, it is not like meat. If you want the absolute best results, use a puff pastry made with a combination of butter and oil/shortening because it will puff up better after thawing. But the difference is negligible. Another great tip I learnt from Cook’s Illustrated!
this recipe is sponsored by Mediterranean Supermarket