INGREDIENTS - makes 6 large sausage rolls or 12 smaller ones
METHOD Put the fennel seeds in a small frying pan over a low to medium heat and dry fry for a few minutes until they smell vary aromatic and are lightly coloured. Leave to cool. Gently fry the shallots with a tablespoon of olive oil until softened and mix through the thyme leaves. Put to one side to cool. For the apple glaze, boil the apple juice and sugar together until it becomes syrupy. Again, leave to cool. Remove the sausage meat from the skins and put in a large bowl, along with the grated apple, chopped apricots, fennel seeds and now cooled shallots and thyme. Season and mix well. Cover and chill. Take the sheet of puff pastry, which should measure approx 30cm x 25cm and cut in half from top to bottom, giving two strips 15cm wide. Take the chilled sausage meat and divide into two equal amounts. Roll each one into a long sausage, the same length as the pastry. Carefully place the filling down the centre of each strip of pastry, pushing the meat together if there are any breaks in the sausage (which there probably will be). Brush one edge of the pastry with some glaze then fold the pastry over the filling and join the edges together, making sure they are well sealed. Cut into 6 or 12 and put in the fridge to chill for about an hour. Preheat oven to 200℃/180℃ fan. When you are ready to bake your sausage rolls, brush them with the apple glaze, sprinkle with some fennel seeds and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. If you can resist eating a few straight out the oven - I can’t! - let them cool on a wire rack and they do freeze very well. |
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