It’s almost picnic season, and sausage rolls are arguably the perfect food to eat outdoors, on the go. You can buy lovely sausage rolls in some bakeries (I love the ones in Bread 41, Dublin 2), but why not make your own?
I tested six different sausage roll recipes (including one vegetarian recipe one for good measure), before developing my own.
Pastry
Most of the recipes I tested used shop-bought puff pastry, which suited me fine for testing purposes (six different hand-laminated puff pastries would have been quite an undertaking). I did, however, use home-made puff pastry for my own recipe, and I really recommend making it, if you have the time. Failing that, try to get your hands on all-butter puff pastry.
Filling
I tested four traditional sausage rolls, along with one vegetarian option (the Happy Pear’s vegan sausage roll bites) and a black pudding variation. Good quality sausages are essential. I used Superquinn pork sausages for most of my testing, but just make sure it’s something you’d be happy to eat for breakfast (cheap sausages do not make a good sausage roll).
For flavouring, I loved the ones with plenty of fresh herbs. Sage, thyme, rosemary and parsley were all popular. I think the sausage roll can stand up to strong flavours, so woody perennial herbs (rosemary, sage, bay, thyme and tarragon) are all good options. Jamie Oliver’s recipe fried the sage in the onions, which I really liked.
Mary Berry’s had cheddar cheese, which I didn’t love – there’s already a lot of fat going into the sausage rolls, and I found the cheese made them a bit greasy. Donal Skehan’s had streaky bacon and dried cranberries, resulting in an almost Christmassy sausage roll – perhaps a good one to try out as a festive canape later in the year.
The black pudding sausage rolls (from Clonakilty) were delicious, and I loved the addition of grated apple. The Happy Pear’s vegan sausage rolls were also lovely, with a really tasty filling made from cashews and mushrooms. I think the filling from these would also be perfect in a mushroom Wellington, if you’re veggie-inclined.
My version
For shaping and baking, I like little two-bite sausage rolls – they’re perfect for picnics or canapés, and it’s easier to make sure they’re cooked all the way through. I think the best way to finish them is to egg-wash and score with a sharp knife – a sprinkle of poppy seeds or sesame seeds is also good.
My recipe for herby sausage rolls has lots of fresh and dried herbs. You can substitute them for other fresh herbs – the more the merrier! Dill and tarragon are good accompaniments to pork, as well as sage and parsley. You can also absolutely use shop-bought puff pastry, and skip the first couple of steps – but I do think that home-made puff is much tastier.
Recipe: Beth O’Brien’s herby sausage rolls
