How to make Pork & Onion Sausage Rolls

PORK & ONION SAUSAGE ROLL: RECIPE
A sausage roll is a type of convenience food commonly served at parties. The basic formula for a sausage roll is generally a sheet of puff pastry sliced into two and wrapped into tubes around a filling based on sausage meat, blended with softer ingredients such as soaked bread, onion and egg, before being cooked. They can be served either hot or cold. Some variations on the basic recipe include chopped vegetables and other seasonings such as herbs and spices.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 8

Sausage Roll Ingredients
- 20g butter

- 1 brown onion, thickly sliced
- 
1 medium fennel, trimmed, thinly sliced

- 500g pork sausage mince
- 
1 cup (70g) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
- 
1 tsp ground fennel

- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
- 
2 sheets (25cm) ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, lightly whisked

- Fennel or caraway seeds, to sprinkle

Step 1
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until onion and fennel are very soft and slightly caramelised. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 220°C. Place onion mixture, sausage mince, breadcrumbs, ground fennel and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Line an oven tray with baking paper. Divide sausage mixture into 4 portions. Using wet hands, shape a portion into a 25cm-long log and place along the edge of a pastry sheet. Roll pastry to enclose filling. Use a small, sharp knife to score pastry. Cut log in half and place on the lined tray. Repeat with remaining sausage mixture and pastry. Brush rolls lightly with egg and sprinkle with fennel or caraway seeds.
Step 4
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and pastry is puffed and golden. Serve with chips, salad and tomato sauce, if desired.

Sausage Roll TIPS:
These rolls can be made ahead to the end of step 3 and frozen, or cut into pieces for a cocktail party. For a flavour twist, try adding fresh sage or using grated apple instead of fennel.

Photography: Scott Hawkins  
Styling: Michelle Noerianto
Published in Notebook Magazine
Issue: August 2009