Recipe by: Rufi Rusnandar
It was a particularly unorganised day for our family; chores not done, kids were bored due to the current stage 4 lockdown restrictions here in Melbourne; aaaand it was nearly lunchtime. Think, Mama, think! What would bring everyone together and lift the family’s mood on this gloomy winter day? A-ha! Sausage rolls to the rescue.
This is one of the family’s (read: MY) favourite recipe; and by ‘recipe’ I really meant more of a ‘guide’; for its versatility in terms of what ingredients you could actually put in these small parcels of yummo goodness.
SAUSAGES
First and most importantly, the star ingredient: the sausages. Please make sure your sausages have raw meat filling (not the solid and pre-cooked frankfurters kind). I used beef sausages from my local supermarket but please feel free to substitute with chicken or even turkey sausages.
ADD-ONS
Minced onion is a must for me because well, flavour. When sautéed slowly, the onions release this sweet flavour that will bring a nice balance to the saltiness that comes with the sausage meat.
There’s almost always a bag of carrots in the fridge, so they’re always in my sausage rolls mixture. There are other vegetables you could ‘sneak in’ to your mixture such as frozen peas, fresh diced capsicums, sundried tomatoes, the only limit is your imagination (and the fussiness of your little eaters, of course!).
PANTRY STAPLES
Some pantry staples you will need to make this recipe are some salt (I ended up omitting the salt as I felt my mixture was salty enough) and black pepper, good ol’ olive oil, frozen puff pastry sheets, an egg to brush the puff pastry before you put the sausage rolls in the oven, wholegrain mustard, some sesame seeds, and some herbs such thyme/Italian herbs. I used my favourite dried Greek Mountain Oregano here because the aroma it imparts takes whatever dish I’m making to a whole new level!
Kitchen equipment:
- Oven
- 2x baking trays lined with baking paper
- 1 big mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
- Silicone/pastry brush
Mini Sausage Rolls
Makes: 24 mini rolls | Time: 1hr
Ingredients:
550gr raw sausage meat
2tbsp olive oil
75gr carrots, diced (about 2 small baby carrots or 1 big carrot)
120gr onions, diced (I used 1 medium-sized onion for this recipe)
2 tbsp herbs of your choice
Salt & black pepper, to taste
1.5-2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
4 sheets of frozen puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten, for brushing
1/4 cup of sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Methods :
1. Preheat oven to 200°C, fan-forced. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
2. Gather and prepare all of the ingredients listed above. (Don’t forget to take puff pastry sheets out of the freezer!)
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan, when it’s warm enough, sautee the diced onions and carrots on low heat, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent and carrots have softened. Turn off the heat and put the pan aside to cool down slightly.
4. Carefully rip the sausage casing off and put sausage meat in a mixing bowl. Add the herbs; mustard; some black pepper (and salt, if preferred); and the slightly cooled sautéed vegetables. Also add in other extra vegetables at this point, if using.
5. Mix everything in the bowl either using a spatula or by hand until all ingredients are evenly distributed amongst the sausage meat.
6. Cut the defrosted puff pastry sheet into 8cm x 12cm rectangles (this is a guide only, you can make whatever size you like!). For the size of my pastry sheet, this measurement would make 6 mini rolls per sheet.
7. Scoop on 1 tablespoon worth of sausage mixture on to the pastry rectangles. Roll the pastry tightly. Place rolls on the trays lined with baking paper, making sure the seam on the pastry is on the bottom.
8. Brush pastry surfaces with the egg wash.
9. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
10. Bake at 200°C fan forced in the oven for about 35-40 minutes, checking every 5 mins after 30mins.
11. Serve mini sausage rolls warm or at room temperature with a side salad and tomato chutney.
Bon Appétit!
Rufi Rusnandar | Mom of Two (7 years old & 2 years old) | Full-Time Mom | Melbourne, Australia