Foodie Friday- VERY SPECIAL PORK AND FENNEL SAUSAGE ROLLS

In all honesty, I haven't tried these yet, but I plan too, and soon! Mom was appalled when she found out I'd eaten (and enjoyed!) a sausage roll that I'd bought from a vendor on the London Underground on our trip many moons ago. I'm going to have her try one of these babies when I make them, and maybe then she'll understand why I was curious enough to try them!

VERY SPECIAL PORK AND FENNEL SAUSAGE ROLLS



PREP TIME
20 mins
COOK TIME
25 mins
TOTAL TIME
45 mins

"The secret is the bacon..." It really takes this sausage roll to another level! Also, sautéing the onion and celery before mixing into the filling makes it sweet and more moist than the usual. The addition of fennel adds an extra burst of flavour - pork and fennel are great mates - and using panko instead of normal breadcrumbs also contributes to making the filling of this sausage roll so moist.

Serves: 20
INGREDIENTS
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tbsp olive oil
1 lb / 500g pork mince (NOT lean)
4 rashers streaky (fatty) bacon, or 2 rashers middle bacon
1 tbsp whole fennel seeds, toasted
Black pepper
2 heaped tsp flaked sea salt
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
2½ sheets puff pastry, cut into half each (so you have five 30cm / 12" x 15cm / 6" rectangles)
Extra egg for egg wash

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 390F/200C.
Sautee onion, celery, garlic over medium heat until soft and sweet. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
Chop the bacon very finely, so it is a similar grain to the mince. You need the pieces to be small enough to blend in with the pork mince when it cooks.
Combine onion mixture, mince, bacon, fennel seeds, salt and pepper (lots - 10 turns), and use hands to mix well.
Mix in the panko bread crumbs, then mix in the whole egg.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (preferable, but not critical step).
Lay out a rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Get ⅕ th of the filling and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps.
Roll up the log and use some egg wash to seal.
Brush with egg wash (optional), then cut the log into four equal lengths, or just two if you want full size sausage rolls.
Repeat with the remainder of the pastry and mince so you have 20 rolls.
Place on a baking tray (you will need 2) lightly sprayed with oil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Leave to cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES
1. Panko - you can substitute for normal breadcrumbs, but as it is finer and therefore denser, reduce the quantity to ½ cup otherwise the filling won't be as moist.