Make-Ahead Leek and Poppy Seed Sausage Rolls

We’ve only recently started making our own sausage rolls at home, but now that we’ve tried them, there’s no going back to the shop-bought variety. The homemade version is altogether a different thing – flaky pastry, good quality sausage meat of your choice (I get mine from Hedges Farm in St Albans) and a few optional extras, like some softly cooked leeks (there was a lone leek in my veg box), or caramelised onions, and a sparkling of poppy seeds, or even sesame seeds. We look forward to having these as an after-school snack (they are super-quick to whisk out of the freezer) or as party food and they’d certainly be great for serving up as a homemade canapé to Christmas visitors. Here’s my recipe, hope you get to try them.

• 1 leek or one sweet onion, finely chopped
• Drizzle olive oil
• 1 packet shop bought ready-to-roll puff pastry (preferably rectangular!)
• 4 good quality sausages
• 1 egg, beaten
• Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

1. Drizzle some olive oil into a frying pan and gently fry the leeks or onions for five or so minutes, until they are soft. Transfer to a bowl to cool and set to one side.
2. Carefully unroll the puff pastry onto a chopping board. Cut it in half lengthways so that you have two small rectangular pieces.
3. You now need to remove the sausagemeat from the cases, so, using a sharp knife, score down the sausage lengthways, then remove the sausagemeat and discard the skin. Break up the sausagemeat with your hands and form a long down the centre of the unrolled pastry, leaving some space at either end.
4. Spoon over the pre-cooked leeks or onions and sprinkle some poppy seeds on to the sausagemeat.
5. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg around the edge of the pastry, then tightly roll up the pastry so that the sausagemeat is encased. Close the ends of the pastry, pressing down with a fork and then using a sharp knife, cut each roll into mini sausage roll pieces and place onto a baking sheet.
6. You can freeze the sausage rolls at this stage. I usually freeze them flat on a baking tray in the freezer. Once frozen, pop them into a zip lock bag until needed.
7. To cook the sausage rolls, place them on a baking tray lined with paper, brush them with some beaten egg and sprinkle a few more poppy seeds on top.
8. Place in a pre-heated oven (200C/fan 180C/gas 6) and cook for 25 minutes (from fresh) or 35 minutes (from frozen) until they are golden brown on top and the meat has cooked through.

I’m linking this up to December’s Simple and in Season as I used fresh, seasonal leeks to add some flavour.

Also, to Festive Family Foodies hosted by Vanesther at Bangers and Mash and Lou at Eat Your Veg as these could be served at a kids Christmas party.

I’m also joining in with Shop Local at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary as my sausages came from a local farm called Hedges Farm.

Finally, to Extra Veg hosted by Michelle at Utterly Scrummy and Helen at Fuss Free Flavours as I’ve added leeks to my sausage rolls.

Happy festive baking!

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