Struggling for ideas on what to cook during the Christmas holidays? Why not combine all the best flavours of Christmas and wrap them under a blanket of golden puff pastry with our showstopping sausage rolls!
We use good quality pork sausages as the main component for our rolls, with bursts of sweet cranberries and chestnuts for a nutty bite!
Why add salt to sausage meat?
Adding a pinch of Maldon Sea Salt to the raw sausage meat will improve the texture and enhance the flavour of the pork, whilst also lowering the water content, resulting in a perfectly seasoned meat ready to be used for making sausage rolls!
Here is how to make our Christmas Sausage Rolls…
- Start by making the filling – in a large bowl mix together the sausage meat, cranberries, chestnuts, sage, cranberry sauce, some Maldon salt and cracked black pepper.
- Unroll the pastry, place half the sausage meat down the length of it on one side, and then fold the rest of the sheet over it, using the egg wash to seal it tightly. Repeat this with the second sheet of pastry. Press the seal using a fork and then place the two long sausage rolls into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- After 30 minutes, remove the sausage rolls and then cut them into 6 individual sausage rolls – so 12 in total. Place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush them all over with egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with nigella seeds and then bake in the oven for 15 minutes. They should be golden brown and crisp on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving with extra cranberry sauce for dripping and a final sprinkle of Maldon Salt.
Can you make these vegetarian?
Absolutely! We make a delicious meat-free version of this recipe, where we use vegetarian sausages, finished off with black sesame seeds. There are many well-known brands that offer meat-free alternatives, including Richmond, Linda McCartney and Cauldron.
What to serve with sausage rolls?
Sausage rolls are the ultimate comfort food – there’s no doubt about that! So, when your are baking these for a gathering, what other tasty finger foods and side dishes could you serve?
Firstly, homemade chips. These are the perfect companion to your sausage rolls. The chip’s crispy, golden skins have the same soft interior as of the humble sausage roll, making it a match made in heaven.
If you are looking for something with a pinch of spice, try our BBQ sweetcorn, paired with a harissa and coriander butter. The smoky flavours contrast the sweet burst of cranberries in the sausage rolls, playing with that irresistible sweet and spicy flavour balance.
