Recipe: Australian Sausage Rolls

Ingredients

Filling 

2 cloves garlic
1 brown onion
1 celery stalk
5 oz / 150g bacon
1 lb / 500g pork mince (ground pork)
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
pinch black pepper

Pastry

3 sheets puff pastry
1 egg

1 oz / 30 ml milk

Sesame seeds (black and natural)
Ketchup / tomato sauce

Instructions

• Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Fry onion and celery until the onion is transparent
• Add diced bacon to the pan and fry until the bacon is browned, then add garlic and fry until all vegetables are cooked. 
• Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and allow to cool while you  prepare the other filling ingredients. If necessary cool the bowl in the freezer while you prepare the meat

• Preheat oven to 350F / 180C while you prepare the sausage rolls 
• Add meat, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl and combine
• Once the vegetables are cool add to the bowl and then need the ingredients until well mixed
• Lay out the pastry and cut in half, allow to thaw until pliable 
• Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl and place a pastry brush in the egg wash mix
• Brush one edge of the pastry with the egg wash, taking up around 1/3 of the pastry
• Then create a log of pork filling that takes up around another 1/3 of the pastry
• Stretch out the unwashed piece of pastry and then roll over the meat, then place the egg washed section over the unwashed pastry acting like a glue

• You should have rolled up sausage logs ready for cutting, I like to make these small bites by cutting the log into 6 pieces so that you can control portions
• If you have a baker's blade use this, otherwise a sharp knife will do. Cut the log in half and then cut each half into 1/3s
• Place the pieces well spaced on a baking tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper 

• Brush the top of each pastry with more egg wash and then sprinkle with sesame seeds
• This recipe should fill 3 sheets of pastry and make around 36 snack sized sausage rolls
• Bake for 30 mins (or until the pastry is golden brown), turning the tray around minute 18

• Let cool on baking racks before serving so that they are warm but not painful to touch
• Serve on a party tray with a bowl of tomato sauce and enjoy!

Recipe: Roast Lamb

A nice simple one but hard to beat; I got jibed about my Catholic education when I suggested we have a roast lamb at Easter but it was tasty as anything so here's a guide for those who aren't sure how to roast meat well.



Roast Lamb

1 bundle fresh rosemary
1 lemon
1 tbspn sea salt
1 tbspn extra virgin olive oil
water for roasting

Method

• Buy a large piece of lamb preferably on the bone and with skin; if this is not possible buy a rolled shoulder piece that has been properly strung by the butcher.


• Preheat the oven to 180C


• Rub the skin with good quality sea salt and leave large grains on the skin.


• Pierce the skin all over and place small bundles of fresh rosemary under the skin with the leaves poking out as seen here.


• Drizzle with the juice of the lemon and the olive oil


• Place on a roasting rack with plenty of space underneath to collect the drippings lamb is a fatty meat and large amounts of fat will come out of the joint.


• Pour 1 cup of water into the roasting tray under the meat; this will ensure that the meat stays moist.


• Place the roast into the oven uncovered and roast for 1 hour.


• Take out the meat, pour another cup of water into the roasting tray and then cover the joint with aluminium foil.


• Roast for a further hour and then remove the meat, take off the foil and then roast uncovered for a further 30 minutes.


• If you are unsure of the size of your meat then use a meat thermometer and this doneness guide.


• When the roast is done take it out of the oven and leave to rest while covered for at least 15 minutes before serving.


• Serve with gravy made from the drippings and plenty of vegetables.