Sausage rolls with caramelized onion and tomato sauce

After many weeks of grey, cold, snowy weather here in Switzerland, all I could think about having for lunch this weekend was a delicious sausage roll to remind me of Australia. This recipe is inspired by one from our favourite cooking magazine - Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Sausage rolls

• 600g puff pastry (I used two 300g pieces)
• 600g minced beef
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1 small onion very finely chopped
• Two eggs - one for the filling, one lightly beaten for washing the sausage rolls
• Sesame seeds (optional for sprinkling over the top)

Caramelized red onion and tomato sauce

• 3 red onions
• 1 tomato
• 1 red capsicum
• 2 cloves of garlic (I like fresh garlic as it tastes a little more sweet), finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• 4 tbsp of passata  
• 3 tsp apple cider vinegar 

For the caramelized red onion and tomato sauce, begin by finely slicing the three red onions into half moons, then cooking very slowly on a low heat in your frying pan with a good dollop of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. It will take at least 20 minutes of slow cooking for them to begin to caramelize.

While the onions are cooking, slice your capsicum into strips and drizzle with a little oil and then place them in the oven on a baking tray at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes until golden.

Once the onions are caramelized, deglaze the pan with your apple cider vinegar and add in the garlic, then the paprika and chopped fresh tomato, turning the heat of the stove up a little.

Cook for another 10 minutes or so before adding in the passata and capsicum from the oven. Blend with a stick blender and then season to taste.

For the sausage rolls, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Dry roast the cumin seeds in a pan then crush with a mortar and pestle. In a bowl combine the beef, breadcrumbs, spices, onion, egg, and salt (also pepper if you like) and mix well.

Take your puff pastry out of the fridge and cut into 45cm x 15cm pieces or into a rectangular shape that works with the size of your dough and gives you room to completely encase your minced meat. Place the filling in a sausage shape near to one edge. Wash the inside with egg and wrap the dough around to form a cylinder and seal the edges. Then refrigerate for 10 minutes or so.

 

When you want to bake them, take the rolls out of the fridge and slice into 6cm long pieces. Slice along the top, wash with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25 minutes on a tray. Eat with your delicious sauce and be happy!

An alternative filling would be to toast a handful of pine nuts in a fry pan until golden, and add these once cool, along with a small handful of raisins to the mixture to have more of a kofte filling. You could even use lamb mince in place of beef. These would be delicious with a tzatziki dip!