You will need time for your pastry to cool in the fridge and your sausage meat to develop so I suggest you make the pastry and the meat mix the day before you need it.
Pastry
250g plain flour
125g of fat made up of equal parts stalk cake margarine & Trex. Or your preferred choice of pastry fat (lard, butter or whatever you like)
A pinch of salt.
Enough water to bring the mix together
For the filling
We use
350g of unseasoned sausage meat
1.5 teaspoon of sage
A really good pinch of salt & pepper (it really needs this as it’s only seasoning so don’t skimp)
A good handful of diced onion – this helps moisten it.
Cheats filling
Your favourite sausages with the skin removed – no prep required but only do it if you’re short of time.
You also need extra flour for rolling out and a beaten egg for glaze.
Make the pastry by putting the ingredients in a food processor whizzing it up for 20 or so seconds and then put in the water, I use about 4 & a half table spoons. Whiz again until it all comes together.
You can rub the fat in by hand until it resembled breadcrumbs then add the water. Mix it all together with your hands until it binds together.
Put the pastry in cling film or a plastic bag in the fridge until you need it.
Put the sausage meat, sage and seasoning in a bowl. Add the onions.
Now squidge the lot through your hands and fingers until it is all mixed together.
Pop this in the fridge overnight or for a few hours.
To make the rolls up you will need extra plain flour.
Cover your rolling service with flour and get a handful of sausage meat. Form it into a thick sausage and roll it into a tube shape with your hands. It can be a bit naughty at this stage but try rolling from the centre outwards. If the end drops off just chuck it back into the bowl and add it to the next lot. I like my sausage meat tube to be end up about two fingers deep.
Grab some pastry - a handful will do. Pat it into a rectangle shape to make it easier to roll out and then use the rolling pin to roll into a nice oblong long enough for your sausage tube and wide enough to wrap round your sausage tube with a bit of overlap.
Straighten up the edges with a knife and then use beaten egg to coat the pasty as it faces you. Place your sausage tube on one edge of the pastry and roll it up. If the ends look messy then trim them neatly.
Cut the rolls to your desired size. We make them about 3 inches long, place them fold side down on a baking tray. I suggest you grease the tray or cover it in a sheet of silicon paper so they don’t stick. Make a few slashed cuts on top of your sausage rolls and coat them in beaten egg.
Repeat this until all the meat is gone. If you have any pastry left roll it out and cut into strips. Twist the strips and sprinkle with sesame seeds or a tiny bit of mustard powder and some strong grated cheese and cook them at the same time to make cheese straws. They can be cooked at the same time but won’t take as long so remebr to check on them after 20 minutes.
Cook them at 180 degrees C or gas mark 4 for about 40 minutes in the middle of the oven but keep an eye on that pastry as all ovens vary!
Enjoy!
