Tick of Yum

Now forgive me for saying this... but I don't make my own puff pastry.  SHOCK!  I know! I have made it and it is easy!  And... I make all my own OTHER types of pastry..... but I keep a packet of puff pastry in the freezer for moments like these (Mintie moment - sorry)

We were supposed to have used up a bit of mince for dinner on Friday night, but I was running late (blah-dy blah-dy excuse, excuse, excuse) and didn't use it.  You know what good mince is like... you HAVE to use it within 24 hours.   (that is because good mince doesn't have preservative in it)   We had pasta just the day before and didn't feel like it again, I wanted something quick, so decided to make sausage rolls.... and just for you Lesley, here is the recipe

First - the lesson of the day.  Why put bread crumbs in sausage rolls (and meat balls come to think of it)?  Well - commercial ones have heaps because old bread is cheaper then minced meat and it pads it all out.  WE do it partially for that reason, but also because it absorbs any moisture that comes out of the mince.  Now, lets be honest - Moisture from mince = fat.  Why would you want to keep that in?  Well, basically, Fat = flavour, but it also helps keep the sausage rolls moist but dry and not dripping in grease which in turn.... pads out the size of it all!!  

(Yes I did it for that reason, BUT - I also put some liquidy things in my sausage rolls so the oats (or bread) sopped it all up!)

Second lesson of the day.... why HAVE fatty meat for sausage rolls?  Well, it isn't the fact that it is sausage rolls as such, as that mince really does need some fat in it for it to be tasty or you are eating little globuls of dry, pellety meat.  I'm not proposing cheap, FATTY mince - just some fat.  

Third lesson of the day..... MINCE YOUR OWN MEAT!  Not everyone has a wonderful butcher boy for a hubby (I just have to say "John love, can you bring mince home").... Read my Meet your Meat blog for more info on the best meat to use for mince AND other hints on meat choices.....

Okay... the recipe.... well, MY recipe anyway... you suit yourself what you want to do :-)

Sausage Rolls ah-la-Bee

take out the puff pastry sheets, seperate and leave to defrost (takes minutes) - this recipe, with two rows per sheet used 5 sheets.  

Turn the oven on to HOT (220oC)

Ingredients

• 800g of good mince (mine was half pork and half beef - thanks John love!!)
• 1 cup of rolled oats or 4-5 slices of bread
• 1 heaped tablespoon of ground chia (optional)
• 2 eggs (helps bind it all together - increase ground chia [or ground linseed] by a heaped TEASPOON for each egg if you decide not to use)
• 1 large carrot, scrubbed and chopped into large chunks (remember.... nothing larger than large icecube size in the thermy for an even chop)
• 1 zucchini - scrubbed and chopped like the carrot
• 1 heaped tsp of stock concentrate
• 100g of a nice sauce (I used a spicy plum sauce given to me by a brilliant host recently!!)
• 20ml of milk FOR BRUSHING ON PASTRY

Method:

1. add the oats or bread into the thermy bowl and blitz on 9 for a 5-10 seconds until fine
2. add the eggs, stock, veggies and chia and chop on speed 6 for 10 seconds or so until veggies are finely chopped and they are well combined
3. scrape down
4. add all the other ingredients and mix on speed 5 REVERSE until all combined - you may need your spatula to help stir it around.  Should only take 20 seconds or so.
5. take OUT of thermy and put into a bowl.... you do not want to be putting a spoon in your bowl to scoop out the mixture - NOT good for your blades (or any knives - having other metal instruments scraping against them)
6. scoop onto your puff pastry.  I do two rows per sheet - my wonderful host the other night had cut the sheets into 4 and then filled them, rolling over one edge and pinching shut the other... they looked georgous!!!!  
7. HINT: trasfer long rolls of pastry/meat onto the baking tray and CUT THEM THERE!!
8. use a pastry brush to brush milk (or beaten egg for a browner look) on the joining pieces of pastry and across the top of finished rolls.
9. once you have a long roll, cut into 2, or 3, or 4 and piece a few holes on the top.  That lets the steam escape without making the pastry soggy.
10. Cook in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes until brown.

Here is how I cut them on the tray