A Roll, a Roll, a Sausage Roll!

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Set in 1750, in the fictitious German Grand Duchy of Pfennig-Halbpfennig, Gilbert and Sullivan’s conspirators in the comic opera The Grand Duke, ate sausage rolls as a secret sign of their collusion against the parsimonious Duke Rudolph.  

You must eat a sausage-roll, a sausage roll, A roll, a roll, a roll, a roll, a roll, a sausage roll!
A roll, a roll, a sausage roll! A sausage roll!

And you must!

For that extra sheet of puff pastry, on a busy weekday, Gilbert and Sullivan conspirator or not, these are perfect.

A 30 minute stove top sauté — a mirepoix of celery, onions and carrots — combined with ground pork and spices and then rolled in pastry and baked for 40 minutes. 

The humble and incredibly delicious, sausage roll… with a spoonful of chutney you’re in heaven.


INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

1 tablespoon fennel seeds (and a bit extra for finishing)

The leaves of 3 sprigs of thyme, chopped

1 small onion, diced

½ cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)

½ cup diced carrots (about 1 large carrot)

1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt (more as needed)

1 pound lean ground pork 

¼ cup bread crumbs

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (14- to 16-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

METHOD

  1. Heat oven to 375°F
  2. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat.
  3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in 1 tablespoon fennel seeds and chopped thyme, and cook for another minute or until fragrant.
  4. Add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and a large pinch of salt and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside to cool.
  5. To the cooled vegetable mixure, add ground pork, bread crumbs, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
  6. Roll the cold puff pastry dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into four equal rectangles. 
  7. Divide the pork mixture into 4 portions. Form each into a long sausage that will run lengthwise on the pastry strip.
  8. Lightly brush one long edge of the pastry with egg wash.
  9. Starting with the side without the egg wash, firmly fold the pastry over the meat filling to form long rolls, pinching to seal. 
  10. Place on a prepared baking sheet, seam-sides down.
  11. Lightly brush the top of each roll with egg wash and sprinkle with fennel seeds. Bake until sausage rolls are golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from Paul Allam, Bourke Street Bakery