Foodbuzz

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Sausage Rolls

Well I have decided it is about time for something savory.  The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name is those crescent/cocktail wieners that we all see at parties. However, I wanted something that was a little closer to homemade.  Also, I seem to recall I got sick one time on those.

These rolls are not that difficult to prepare and require very little of your time. The best thing about this recipe is that it leaves you with a variety of choices when it comes to the type of meat filling.  Any ground meat will do, however, I find that it is best to use something with a lot of flavor in it, which is usually sausage.  Also, these are even better served with a dipping sauce.  I have listed some combinations below:

Bratwurst/BBQ Sauce
Chorizo/enchilada sauce
Italian Sausage/ Garlic or marinara sauce

I still have yet to make these using chorizo, but it will not be long.  I have done the other suggestions above. One bite of the flaky pastry and the spicy meat is all it took for me to be addicted to these.  Try serving these at your next party, you will be glad you did.

Sausage Rolls
courtesy of The Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book

Ingredients
1 beaten egg for glazing
3 tbs cold lard
3 tbs cold butter
3 tbs cold water
9 oz raw sausage meat
1 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a medium size bowl.  Then, with a pastry cutter, cut in the lard and butter until the consistency of the flour changes to fine crumbs.  Then add water and stir until the mixture turns into dough.  Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the chilling time is complete, take out the dough and place on a smooth, floured surface.  Roll dough into a rectangle measuring 7X12.  Cut dough into 2 strips, each measuring 3 1/2 X 12.  To make sure that your dough isn't sticking to the surface, run a large thin knife underneath each piece of dough.

Then divide your sausage evenly into 2 pieces.  Shape each piece into a long roll, measuring 12 inches in length.  Place each piece of sausage in the center of  the pastry pieces, running the 12 inch length parallel with the dough length.  Brush the 12 inch edges of the pastry with water and fold over the sausage and press the edges together to seal.

Then, using a sharp knife, cut each long roll into 8 pieces.  Flip the pieces over with the seam side down.  Then brush them with the beaten egg and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes until crisp and golden.  Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
                                    **LAST YEAR:Chicken Avocado Parmesan