Chutney sausage rolls

Ah, the humble sausage roll - stalwart of picnics and children’s parties alike. Growing up not eating meat (in the time before Greggs’ vegan sausage rolls) I always missed out on the crisp pastry and savoury filling that a good homemade sausage roll promises. There was, of course, the alternative “cheese and onion roll” - a bag of which came out of my grandmother’s freezer at Christmas time so that I would have an option that I could eat - but the thought of going to a party or a picnic that would cater for the vegetarian palette beside a grated cheese sandwich and some Party Rings was a distant hope.

Nowadays, vegetarian alternatives are far more easy to come upon both out and about and in the supermarket. Even so, I like to rustle up a nice homemade batch of these chutney sausage rolls when I have the time, whether for a party, a picnic or just to have for lunches during the week. As an ideal accompaniment to a Christmas buffet spread, the sausage rolls include a few dollops of chutney which I’m sure can be found in most fridges around the festive period. The chutney adds a bit of extra moisture and sweetness to the roll to complement the more savoury “sausage meat” filling. Any flavour will do - I used caramelised onion chutney the last time I made them simply as that was what I had in my fridge at the time. The rolls keep well in an airtight tin for a couple of days, or alternatively you can freeze them before cooking (see instructions for more details) and just get a few out as and when you need them - I find they take only a few minutes more to cook than their non-frozen counterparts.

I use ready rolled puff pastry due to laziness, but of course you can use either a block of pastry rolled out to about 0.5cm thick, or even make your own pastry if you’re feeling adventurous!

Chutney sausage rolls

Makes: 12-16 small or 6-8 large rolls | Total time: 1hr | Source: vicki cooks veggie

Ingredients

• 375g (13oz) pack puff pastry, ready rolled

• 3 tbsp chutney (I used caramelised onion chutney but any chutney or pickle will work)

• 340g (12oz) meat-free sausages (I used 8 Richmond meat-free sausages as they mash down to an excellent sausagemeat consistency)

• 1 tbsp cold water

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp dried sage

• Salt and pepper

• 1 egg, any size

Method

• Unroll the pastry along with the baking paper it came with and cut it in half lengthwise so that you have two long rectangles.

• Spread out 1.5 tbsp of chutney over each rectangle, leaving about an inch gap around each side. If you need to use a bit more chutney then feel free, but you don't want too thick a layer.

• Remove the sausage "skins" by using a sharp knife to pierce then peel with your fingers. Mash up the sausagemeat in a bowl along with the water, cider vinegar, sage and some salt and pepper.

• Shape the sausagemeat into two large sausages roughly the length of the pastry and place each in the centre of each pastry rectangle.

• Beat your egg in a small glass or bowl with a fork, then give the entire thing a good egg wash with the pastry brush. Don't get rid of the egg wash just yet as you'll need it later!

• Roll one long side of each rectangle over the sausagemeat, then continue rolling to seal the sausage rolls.

• Cut each rectangle into either 6 to 8 for smaller rolls, or 3 to 4 for a lunchtime option, trimming off the excess pastry from the edge. This will give us either 12/16 smaller sausage rolls or 6/8 larger ones in total.

• Place the sausage rolls onto a non-stick baking tray (or a normal baking tray lined with greaseproof paper) or a plate, cover with a clean tea towel and place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Don’t skip this step, otherwise the pastry will be too warm and the butter will leak out of the pastry when it hits the heat of the oven. If you want to freeze the sausage rolls to cook later, now is the time to do that.

• When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Place your sausage rolls on a baking tray lined with baking paper, then give them a final egg wash with the remaining egg.

• Cook in the oven on the middle shelf for around 30 minutes until the pastry is golden.