Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls

When you don't get the footy jumpers washed and dried in time for Saturday kick-off and your kids have to wear "iron-dry" gear. When you forget to sign the special form for school and your kids have to take in the overdue form along with a letter of apology. When you nag ask your kids "Did you brush your teeth? Did you brush them properly? Can I have a look? ", every second of the day. When you tell your kids "may be later". When you embarrass your kids by dancing gangnam style in front of their friends. All is forgiven when You produce a batch of these straight from the oven.


Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls
slightly adapted from Delicious
Makes 18

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, roughly chopped
80g bacon, roughly chopped
500g ground pork
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley
Finely grated zest of an orange
2 eggs, lightly beaten (1 for the meat stuffing and 1 to glaze the sausage rolls)
3 sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry (I make my own - but you're probably not crazy like me. If you are and want to make your own here's how to.)
Sesame and poppy seeds, to sprinkle

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and put shelves in the centre and upper third of the oven.

Toast the spices in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pound the spices in a mortar and pestle until finely ground. Set aside.

Blitz the onion and bacon in a food processor until they are a fine mush.

Return the pan you toasted the spices in to the heat. Cook the onion and bacon for 5 minutes or until onion is soft and golden brown. Add the spices, stir, then cool.

Put the onion mixture into a large bowl with the pork, crumbs, parsley, zest and one of the beaten eggs. Season and mix well.

If using homemade puff pastry roll it out until it is about 3mm thick. Cut it into six rectangles about 15cm x 30cm. If using ready-rolled sheets, cut them in half until they are about 15cm x 30cm.

Divide the pork mixture into 6 equal portions and roll them into sausage shapes, 30cm long. Place the sausages in the middle of each piece of pastry. Brush one long side of the pastry with beaten egg  and roll up to enclose, pressing the long edges together to seal. Turn rolls seam-side down, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with fennel, sesame and poppy seeds. Cut each long roll into 3 equal-sized pieces and place on the prepared trays.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked, swapping the trays halfway through the cooking time for even cooking.