Sausage Rolls

We decided to go to the beach for the day and so I got up early and made some sausage rolls for the picnic. They are my grandson’s favourite.  I always try to make sausage meat taste nicer by adding herbs and grated onion.  Some times I also add grated courgettes, grated apple, and grated carrot as well to add some nutrients.

Ingredients

8oz approximately of pastry (this can be either bought or home made.   Puff pastry or short crust can be used.  I use 8oz of plain flour and 4oz of fat, and a pinch of salt (and water) to make my pastry)

8oz of sausage meat

Anything that you want to use to make the sausage meat taste better. I sometimes put in grated onion, sage, and grated apple, or spices such as chilli.  If you want to leave the sausage meat plain that is fine, too. Young children often like it this way but we put onion and mixed herbs in today.

Method

1.  Heat the oven to 200C
2.  Roll out the pastry so that it is the thickness of a 10p piece (Try to keep it in an oblong shape.
3. Dust the sausage meat lightly with flour and roll it out into a sausage shape and place it down the middle of the pastry.
4. Wet both sides of the pastry with water and then fold one side of the pastry over the meat and the other side over the pastry that you have just folded.
5. Cut the long sausage roll into portions, about one and half inches big.
6. Turn the individual sausage rolls upside down so that the folded pastry is underneath and place on a silicone mat or on top of parchment paper on a tray.
7. With a pair of scissors make two little snips in the top of the pastry of each sausage roll.
8. Brush with a little milk and cook for about 25 to 30 minutes.
9. I always check my sausage with a meat thermometer but they are usually ready when the pastry is golden brown.
10. Take the sausage rolls out of the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Some times it is cheaper to squeeze the sausage meat out of a pack of sausage.  If you but Lincoln sausages or other ones with herbs in there is no need to add any seasoning.  I always buy sausage meat after Christmas as it is often sold at a reduced price. I then freeze it to make sausage rolls in the summer.  We also  make our own sausage meat now that we have a sausage maker.  For this we buy pork when it is reduced or on a special offer.

Another thing that you can do to make this more of a meal rather than a snack or picnic food, is to make a giant sausage roll and plait the pastry rather than fold it over.  We serve this with potatoes, vegetables, and gravy, or with chips and beans for a main meal.  Any left over pastry can be used to make a pie top or a pasty from what ever you have in the fridge.  Some times I make mini quiches.  Alternatively it can be frozen to use another time.  Shop bought pastry can have a lot of additives and can be quite expensive now.  I make my own short crust pastry using half lard and half butter as it is cheaper that way and it makes a lighter, crispier crust. If you are vegetarian pastry can be made with oil and other fillings can be used.

The sausage rolls went down well today as my young grandson demolished 3.  What do you add to make your sausage rolls taste nice?