Pork and Mustard Sausage Roll

_Flaky all-butter puff pastry wrapped around a well-seasoned pork sausagemeat filling, sharpened with wholegrain and English mustard. Makes six generous rolls with a deeply golden, glossy crust._

Ingredients

• 500 g all-butter puff pastry
• 600 g pork sausagemeat (or skinned good-quality sausages)
• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp english mustard
• 50 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• plain flour, for dusting
• 1 tbsp fennel or nigella seeds, to finish

Method

Soften the diced onion gently in a little oil over low heat for 6-8 minutes until translucent but not coloured, then leave to cool completely. Warm onion will melt the pastry's butter, so this step matters.

In a large bowl combine the sausagemeat, cooled onion, breadcrumbs, both mustards, sage, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with clean hands until even but stop before it turns pasty. Fry a teaspoon of the mix to check seasoning and adjust.

On a lightly floured surface roll the puff pastry into a rectangle roughly 30cm x 36cm and about 4mm thick. Trim the edges square, then cut lengthways into two long strips, each about 18cm wide.

Divide the filling into two and shape each half into a long sausage running down the centre of each pastry strip, slightly nearer one long edge.

Brush the exposed long edge of pastry with beaten egg. Fold the pastry over the filling to enclose it and press the seam firmly to seal, keeping the join underneath. Press the tines of a fork along the seam if you like.

Chill the two logs in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight) to firm the butter and relax the pastry, which gives the best lift and a clean cut.

Preheat the oven to 200C fan (220C conventional) and line a baking tray with parchment. Cut each chilled log into three, giving six rolls, and space them well apart on the tray seam-side down.

Brush all over with beaten egg, then brush a second time for a deep shine. Snip two or three small steam vents in the top of each roll and scatter with fennel or nigella seeds.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is richly golden and crisp and the base is cooked through. If browning too fast, lower to 180C fan for the final 10 minutes.

Check the filling is cooked: it should reach 75C in the centre. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before eating, as the filling holds fierce heat.