These sausage rolls are a far cry from anything you can find in a British supermarket or shop! In my opinion sausage rolls need to be approached with caution. Whether it is sneakily trying one (that ends up being more than just one) when fresh out of the oven or making sure you are strategically placed near to the sausage rolls at a party, these really are the most addictive finger food! But not all sausage rolls are eaten when piping hot out of the oven, or freshly made with crisp and buttery puff pastry with the meat and all it’s seasoning oozing out and tasting delicious. I always shudder at the sad looking sausage rolls found in the fridges at a WHsmith or Boots at the airport, sat there is some cheap plastic wrapping with a suspiciously pink meat in the middle that I wonder if anyone who eats these actually eats a sausage roll ever again! And while my go to hangover food as a student was a Greggs sausage roll with some brown sauce, you really can’t compare these mystery meat, soggy and dry sausage rolls with the home-made version!
Recently we have had a few public holidays here in Berlin and on one of those days we headed to the Britzer Garten, a lovely group of gardens where everyone gathers by the lake for a picnic and to relax in the sunshine. Usually my go to picnic food is the Classic Sausage Roll, using minced pork and herbs such as sage and rosemary. But I wanted to do a little different and remember seeing some Chorizo Sausage Rolls when I was last in Marks and Spencer. These really are delicious with the sweet and rich chorizo oozing out and the pastry delicately light and fluffy. They are dangerously delicious that I think they should come with some kind of warning – it is not possible to just eat one!
I buy a block of chorizo from the meat counter in my local supermarket but you can easily buy some chorizo sausages and peel the skins off. I don’t use many herbs as chorizo is typically an oily and powerful flavour with plenty of taste of paprika but a little bit of fresh basil works nicely.
- 200g block chorizo (or pieces of chorizo with the skin peeled off)
- 1 ready roll puff pastry
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 tbspn sesame seeds
- Black pepper
- Few leaves of fresh basil
- Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius/ gas mark 5.
- In a mixing bowl add the chorizo. Using your hands squash the chorizo so that it becomed minced and is more combined. Add the basil and mix again with your hands. Season with a little black pepper.
- Lay out the puff pastry and cut in half. Take one half of the puff pastry and half of the chorizo mix. Line the chorizo mixture into a sort of long, thin sausage shape in the of the piece of puff pastry so that it reaches each end. Then roll up like a long sausage and then pinch/ fold the ends together. Repeat with the rest of the pastry and meat.
- Brush the tops of the pastry with the beaten egg and then sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Cut up into small squares and then lay out on a baking tray on top of non-stick baking paper.
- Baking in the oven for around 25 mins or until the pastry is golden and well risen.
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