German-style sausage roll

These are no exception: inspired by everything she associates with German sausages – the spices in bratwurst, for example, the mustard dipping sauce, the pretzels – and a celebration of all the wonderful things that can be wrapped up in all-butter puff pastry.

Getting ahead: These can be made a day ahead of baking and kept in the fridge (or further ahead, if baking from frozen).

SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ tsp white peppercorns
• ¼ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1¼ tsp dried marjoram (or thyme)
• ¾ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground mace (or nutmeg)
• ½ tsp English mustard powder
• 50g salted pretzels, roughly crushed
• 60ml milk
• 1 egg, beaten, ½ tbsp rserved for brushing
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 30g unsalted butter
• 2 onions, chopped into roughly 1cm dice (325g)
• 2 tsp dark soft brown sugar
• 350g good-quality pork sausage meat (or start with pork sausages, and remove the casing)
• 15g chives, finely chopped
• 1 pack of ready-rolled all-butter
• puff pastry (320g)
• flour, for dusting
• salt
• Honey mustard dipping sauce
• 3 tbsp yellow mustard (we like French's)
• 1½ tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 15g chives, finely chopped

METHOD

1. Put the peppercorns, coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon of the caraway seeds into a medium sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then transfer to a spice grinder (or a pestle and mortar). Blitz to form a semi-fine powder, then add the remaining spices, along with the mustard powder and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

2. Combine the pretzels, milk and egg in a bowl and set aside to soften.

3. Add the oil and butter to the same sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat. Add the onions, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until softened and starting to caramelise. Add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until fully caramelised. Set aside to cool.

4. Add the sausage meat to the bowl containing the pretzel mixture, along with the chives, spices and cooked onions. Mix well to combine.

5. Mix together all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.

6. Unroll the puff pastry and place on a lightly floured work surface. Slice it in half, lengthways, to form two long, wide strips, about 11½cm x 38cm. Arrange half the sausage meat in a long log shape down the middle of one of the pastry strips, then lift one edge of the pastry over the meat. Brush the remaining free edge with some of the reserved egg, then lift and slightly pull it up and over the pastry, overlapping a little to ensure that it sticks. Repeat with the remaining pastry and sausage meat, then roll each log over so that the seams are both underneath. Brush all over with egg wash, sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of caraway seeds, then lightly score the top of each log, each cut about 2cm apart. Arrange the logs on a large parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 32–35 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into 12 portions. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with the dipping sauce alongside.
   
   

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Ottolenghi COMFORT by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley

Photo credit © Jonathan Lovekin