Sausage Rolls, Two Ways

The end of March is going to mark the first year of my Hoboken residence, and this past weekend marked my first Hoboken St. Patrick's Day.   This fake holiday is oddly celebrated 2 weeks early with a parade and, more importantly, a city-wide party commencing at 7am and lasting until everyone passes out.  I wasn't sure what to expect having read the news articles, but I guess it was everything I had imagined and more.  My apartment hosted since it is rather perfect for fake holiday revelry: far enough away from the main drag to avoid the melee, and also has a lovely backyard for grilling and other important activities to usher in spring.


In certain more idyllic places than New Jersey, it ain't a decent party unless sausage rolls make the rounds.  I internalized this philosophy because sausage rolls are a perfect pair to drinking beer outside wherever you are.  Pastry-covered delicious meat bites eaten by hand with tomato sauce/ketchup, these puppies are definitely messy but line the stomach suitably in case you are inclined to actually start drinking green beer at the crack of dawn.

Now, I didn't make the pastry from scratch, but these are still quite a bit more work than your more convenient frozen options which are available if you're lucky enough to live in a Commonwealth country.  But as is the case with most homemade treats, you'll be handsomely rewarded if you put in the time.  These sausage rolls are much more flavorful than the frozen versions and are completely customizable to any number of seasonings you might have on-hand.

The successful hostess also tries to cater to food allergies and preferences, hence the two onion-free-meat and vegetarian variations presented here.  The vegetarian one actually does taste and look remarkably like meat, who knew?

Unfortunately a successful hostess also focuses on feeding and watering guests and not on taking blog photographs.  The above scene is all that was left of the sausage rolls on Sunday, so I think that speaks for itself.

 Sausage rolls in profile, what they actually looked like.

Image via Deliaonline.com

Sage and Apple Sausage Rolls
Adapted significantly from Delia


Makes enough for a crowd
Total time: 1 hour (Active time 30-40 minutes) 

• 1 lb (450g) sausage meat, casings removed
• 1 lb (450g) lean ground pork
• 2 small granny smith apples, peeled and grated (or 1 small apple and 1/2 small onion)
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 2 teaspoons dried sage 
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• big pinch of salt and pepper 
• 2 sheets puff pastry (450g), thawed 
• beaten egg 
• sesame seeds (optional)

Mix meat, apples, and seasonings in a large bowl until just-combined.

Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface until you have a rectangle about 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm).  Cut each sheet in half lengthwise so you have two rectangles about 6 x 16 inches (15 x 40 cm).  Spoon 1/4 of the meat mixture over one edge of the pastry and brush the other side with beaten egg.  Fold pastry over the meat mixture and pat down to ensure the roll is closed; repeat with the other three sheets of pastry.  Whole rolls can be frozen at this stage in plastic wrap and thawed before continuing below.

Brush beaten egg over the top of each roll and sprinkle with sesame seeds (you will probably use about 2 tablespoons total).  Cut each roll with a sharp knife into 1/2 inch-1 inch pieces (1-2 cm) and stab the top of each a few times to let out steam.

Evenly space roll pieces on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400F (200C) until browned; you will need more than one sheet.

Unbaked rolls can be refrigerated layered on wax paper in containers overnight, or flash-frozen on the parchment paper for one hour, then transferred to plastic bags.

Image via smallmagazine.typepad.com

Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
Adapted from smallmagazine

Makes enough for a crowd
Total time: 70 minutes or so (Active time 40-50 minutes)

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup (80g) roughly chopped nuts (I used half walnuts, half pecans)
• 1 cup (80g) rolled oats
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 cup (250g) cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 2/3 cup (55g) breadcrumbs
• 1 cup (115g) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 sheets (450g) puff pastry, thawed
• beaten egg
• sesame seeds (optional)

Combine 3 eggs, nuts, oats, onion, garlic, cottage cheese, and soy sauce in the base of a food processor.  Process until well-mixed, about 1 minute or so.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in breadcrumbs and parsley.

Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface until you have a rectangle about 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm).  Cut each sheet in half lengthwise so you have two rectangles about 6 x 16 inches (15 x 40 cm).  Spoon 1/4 of the mixture over one edge of the pastry and top with 1/4 cup of cheese.  Brush the other side of the pastry with beaten egg and roll over the oats mixture.  Pat down to ensure the roll is closed and repeat with the other three sheets of pastry.  Whole rolls can be frozen at this stage in plastic wrap and thawed before continuing below.

Brush beaten egg over the top of each roll and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using (you will probably use about 2 tablespoons total).  Cut each roll with a sharp knife into 1/2 inch-1 inch pieces (1-2cm) and stab the top of each a few times to let out steam.

Evenly space roll pieces on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes at 350F (180C); you will need more than one sheet.

Unbaked rolls can be refrigerated layered on wax paper in containers for a few days, or flash-frozen on the parchment paper for one hour, then transferred to plastic bags.