Food & Drink
Festive sausage rolls
By Chef Dan Herbert, The Stables Restaurant
As we get ready for the launch of our Christmas menus and festive food plans I believe that no seasonal celebration is complete without tucking into a freshly baked sausage roll. At Royal Norwich are proud to be using sausage meat from our local butcher, Swannington Farm to Fork, adding fantastic quality to these unbeatable Christmas snacks. The addition of dried cranberries, sage and smoked pancetta gives them a deliciously mild sweetness, like a good pork stuffing. The only problem with the recipe is that one is never enough!
Ingredients:
1kg sausage meat
6 slices smoked pancetta
2 diced shallot
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 handful fresh bread crumbs
100g dried cranberries
2 tsp chopped sage
Pre-rolled puff pastry
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc. Bake the pancetta in the oven until crispy, this should take about 10 minutes. Remember to reserve the fat from the tray. Dice the shallots and sauté in a pan with the reserved fat. Add the crushed fennel seeds and cook until the shallots are softened. In a separate bowl, add the sausage meat with the shallots, breadcrumbs, cranberries, mustard, sage, salt and pepper. Roughly chop the pancetta and add this to the bowl. Mix well. Lay out your pre-rolled puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and with the meat mixture form a sausage shape along one edge of the pastry. Fold the edge over gently and keep the pastry tight to the sausage. Egg wash around the seal and cut off the excess pastry. Cut in to 4-inch long sausage rolls. Transfer to a baking tray and egg wash thoroughly and then season with flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake the sausage rolls for 35–40 minutes.
TOP TIP
Roll the sausage meat in cling film first and set in the freezer for half an hour before rolling in the pastry to create the perfect shape.
Chef Dan RECOMMENDS
Serve these delicious sausage rolls with some luxurious homemade mayonnaise.
Ingredients:
50g egg yolk 50g English mustard
5g salt 25g cider vinegar
500ml oil
Method:
Combine all the ingredients together and whisk until thick.