Great British Food - Christmas 2025

Fennel, Thyme& CaramelisedOnion SausageRolls Where I grewup, every party table, for any age, had to have sausage rolls. I was frequently a culprit of eating one too many sausage rolls but funnily enough, it didn’t put me off. This recipe elevates the humble sausage roll with the addition of caramelised onions, fennel seeds and thyme. If you can’t find sausagemeat, you can simply take the skin off good-quality sausages. I have mademy own rough puff pastry here, but a high-quality shop- bought all-butter puff pastryworks beautifully. Make them in advance and freeze them raw, then just defrost them in the refrigerator overnight and cook fromchilled. Makes: 20 Prepare: 40minutes plus chilling time Cook: 50minutes 30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, finely ground – 2 teaspoons chopped thyme 900 g (2 lb) sausagemeat 2mediumeggs, separated 2 teaspoons sesame seeds Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper For the rough puff pastry: 285 g (10 oz/generous 2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 140 g (5 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes 150ml (51/2 fl oz/scant 2/3 cup) ice-coldwater 1. First, make the rough puff pastry. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then add the butter and use your hands to gently toss it through the flour. Gradually stir in the water (you may not need it all) using a round-bladed knife and then use your hand to gently bring the dough together. It should look scraggy and feel soft but not sticky. Wrap and leave to rest for 10 minutes in the refrigerator. 2. Once chilled, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and ridge the dough by gently pressing a rolling pin into it. Don’t be too heavy handed, as you don’t want the butter to break through. Roll the pastry into a 30 x 15 cm (12 x 6 inch) rectangle. If the butter starts to break through, dust the dough lightly with flour and brush away any excess with a pastry brush. 3. Fold the bottom third of the pastry up to cover the centre third, then fold the top third down to cover the other two. Now turn the pastry anticlockwise so that the folded edge is on your left. Repeat this rolling and folding technique four more times, placing the pastry in the refrigerator for 15 minutes between each roll. The pastry should have no fewer than five rolls and folds. Chill for 20 minutes before using. 4. Now make the filling. Put the butter, oil and onions into a small saucepan over a gentle heat and add a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the onions are really soft and sweet. Stir every so often so the onions don’t catch. 5. Add the fennel and thyme, season with pepper, and cook for a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool completely. 6. Mix the cooled onion mixture with the sausage meat, then cover and place in the refrigerator. 7. Roll the pastry into a 51 x 16.5 cm (20 x 61⁄2 inch) rectangle, then divide in half lengthways. 8. Divide the filling into two portions and use it to form two long sausages. Place the sausage meat along the length of each rolled piece of pastry, 4 cm (11⁄2 inches) from the edge. Lightly whisk the egg whites and brush along the edge of the pastry, then lift the other side up and roll over the filling. Use your hands to gently mould the long sausage roll into a neat shape and use your fingers to crimp the edges of the pastry together to seal them. 9. Brush the sausage rolls with some of the egg yolk (keep the rest for a second glaze), then cut the long sausage rolls into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces and place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. 10. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F/Gas 6). Remove the sausage rolls from the refrigerator, glaze again with the egg yolk and sprinkle with some sesame seeds and sea salt flakes. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 35 minutes until golden and crisp. Recipes extracted from The Irish Kitchen by Cherie Denham and Andrew Montgomery, published by Montgomery Press. Photography by Andrew Montgomery. RECI PES | THE IRI SH KI TCHEN 23 greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com