Sunday lunch - Sausage Rolls

Made sausage rolls today, and wondered if they were an Aus/UK tradition, or something eaten all over the world ? Here's what they look like (though not the recipe I used - mine were just basically a thin sausage of meatloaf encased in puff pastry) : http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/saus ... 08,RC.html

MY 14 year old just ate 10 !! Help !! :)

Oh Ce! These looks yummo!

Now let me think, into which part of my well-balanced diet ( this is a joke) are these supposed to fit ?

You seem innocent, but you are the devil in disguise!

JuliaB

Someone in my childhood used to make these. I shall have to try it. Thanks for the reminder, Celia!

Moi, Jules ?

They're considered junk food, but I actually think they're quite fun for a treat. Here's the mix that went into mine :

*500g lean beef mince
*500g pork and veal mince
*tsp chermoula spice mix
*some crustless sourdough soaked in mix of warm water and milk, then squeezed to remove excess
*1 egg
*salt
*pepper

Then just shape the mix into a flattish 1" log and lay it along the edge of your puff pastry, roll up, brush with eggwash, cut and bake. (Most recipes don't add egg to the meat, but my mince was very lean, so I was keen to have something to "bind" it with).

Our puff over here comes in sheets about 12" square, so I laid a log of meat on the left hand edge and one on the right hand edge, cut the pastry down the middle, and rolled the meat up, like a sushi roll. Then baked it at 210' C for about 25 - 30 mins.

They're normally made with sausage mince, but I can't stand the stuff...ugh...

Hope to catch you and Cynthia tomorrow morning in the chatroom !

We call it Sunday afternoon..same dif. Can't wait to chat with you. See you tomorrow, or whatever we call that.

JuliaB

There are some similar dishes here, Celia.

A very simple version is often served as an appetizer -- roll out a simple puff pastry, roll the pastry around a sausage, cut the sausage into one inch thick wheels, bake for 15 minutes or so.

A friend makes a similar version in the shape of little purses -- calls them Saucisses Feuilletées, so I assume they are a French invention as well.

Corn dogs are another version -- a hot dog covered with cornmeal batter and then either deep fried or baked. Janet and I indulge in the small versions of these, and were delighted to find something similar called "Dagwood Dogs" in Sydney during our trip a few years ago.

Finally, I've made a Barefoot Countessa version several times; this one is lamb, but "Pigs in a Blanket" come in many versions here:


1 pound fresh lamb sausage,
1/2 inch thick, in a coil
2 sheets commercial puff pastry, thawed (see note)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten with
1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bake the sausage on a baking sheet for 20 minutes. Turn the sausage and bake it 5 to 10 minutes more, until it's fully cooked. Cool to room temperature.

Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured board. Cut each piece in half lengthwise and brush the top sides with mustard. Divide the sausage into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the long end of the pastry, place 1 piece of the sausage on top of the mustard and roll it up tightly, overlapping the end by 1/2 inch and sealing the pastry by brushing the edge with water. Cut off the excess pastry. Roll the other 3 pieces of sausage in puff pastry. Place the 4 rolls, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with the egg wash. Lightly score each roll diagonally to make 7 equal pieces. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned. Slice and serve immediately.

Back in Wisconsin years ago, a neighbor from Germany made Schweine in einer Decke -- pig sausages in cabbage leaves.

My assumption is that this is one of those basic dishes that come in a wide range of variations.

Regards, Bob

Corn dogs are another version -- a hot dog covered with cornmeal batter and then either deep fried or baked. Janet and I indulge in the small versions of these, and were delighted to find something similar called "Dagwood Dogs" in Sydney during our trip a few years ago.

Wow, Bob, it's been 20 years since I've thought about a Dagwood Dog, probably longer since I last had one ! Where did you find it in Sydney ? I've only ever seen them at the Saturday markets...

Finally, I've made a Barefoot Countessa version several times; this one is lamb, but "Pigs in a Blanket" come in many versions here:

Hmmm...mustard is an interesting addition - would make more sophisticated sausage rolls than the norm. Thanks for the tip. I'm curious that the recipe asks for cooked sausage - maybe because it's in a coil ?

Obviously it is, as you say, a recipe with many different permutations in different places. I was thinking how nice it might be to encase Robin's meatloaf recipe (from a previous FL - a staple in our house) in puff pastry like this.

Cheers, Celia

"Dagwood Dogs"

There was a stand outside [?] the zoo, Celia -- near where we got off the ferry if memory serves. We were so surprised to see them -- and baffled by the name. But they were awfully good.

The only Dagwood sandwich I had heard of was a gigantic thing with everything from the refrigerator stuffed between two slices of bread.

I did a little Googling looking for the source of the name and found a lovely site devoted to a visit to EKKA. Made me homesick for the Wisconsin State Fair, it did. Sarsparilla Blog.

I also learned that corn dogs are called "Pogos" in Canada. A brand name, apparently.

It was fun to learn that there is a dispute over whether they first appeared at the Minnesota or the Texas State Fairs.

Regards, Bob

Bob, you mentioned Wisconsin, and the next website I looked at is this :

http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/darths-y ... 20448.html

I know, I know, completely food or wine unrelated... :)

You've now made me crave a battered sausage, Bob. I'm thinking about Jamie Oliver's toad in the hole, but will make a nice, simple soup instead - one round of homemade junk food a day is all we're allowed !

All the best,

Celia

As an alternative, consider making a sausage 'plait'. It has the added advantage of looking a little more impressive, albeit in a rustic way.

Same as sausage rolls, but made as one large one. Lay the puff pastry out and the sausage meat in a long strip down the centre. Then cut strips from the sausage meat outwards (leaving the strips attached obviously). Fold the strips across the sausage meat in a plait by folding the strips diagonally over each other. The last couple of strips can be discarded.

Bake as per sausage rolls, but a little longer as it's bigger than individual sausage rolls.

This was the first thing I cooked at school ~ 14 years old and my mum told me to cook it again the next week as it went down so well!

regards

Ian

Nice, Ian. We're getting this dish closer and closer to Sausage Wellington all the time.

Gosh, I meant that as a joke, but look at this just Googled in from the Two Meeting Street Inn in Charleston: "Our signature dish is Sausage Wellington Sausage and cheese in puff pastry topped with a hollandaise sauce and sliced tomatoes."

Charleston, South Carolina, that is.

Nice, Ian. We're getting this dish closer and closer to Sausage Wellington all the time.

Gosh, I meant that as a joke, but look at this just Googled in from the Two Meeting Street Inn in Charleston: "Our signature dish is Sausage Wellington Sausage and cheese in puff pastry topped with a hollandaise sauce and sliced tomatoes."

Charleston, South Carolina, that is.

It's surely only a matter of time before some restaurant lays on 'Spam Wellington'... now there's a thought

If you saw what went into a packaged sausage roll, you might think a spam wellington was an improvement ... :)

Ian, I've made mini apple pie plaits using the technique you describe - easy as, puff pastry plaited around raw diced apple which has been tossed in a little lemon juice and sugar. Actually...my boy asked for apple pie today, maybe I'll make these instead. Mind you, after 10 sausage rolls, he doesn't need any more pastry this week...

Cheers, Celia

Celia, thanks for the link to the Madison videos -- I enjoyed them all. Very funny indeed.