Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 450g plain flour and extra for dusting your work surface 
• 300g unsalted butter (frozen) 
• 200ml water  
• Pinch of black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt 
• 1 egg 

Caramelised onion mix:

• 5 small white onions 
• 2 cooking apples 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 teaspoons black pepper 
• 20g light brown sugar 
• Pinch of salt

Sausage mix:

• 1kg sausage meat 
• 1 cooking apple, grated 
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes 
• 1 teaspoon oregano 
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons sage leaves 
• 2 tablespoons plain flour and extra for dusting your work surface 

Decorations:

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 
• 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt 

Method: 

1. Start by making to pastry. To do this, grate half of the butter and combine in a bowl with flour. Use a butter knife to do this to avoid touching the ingredients with your hands. Once all of the butter is combined, grate the remaining butter and repeat this process
2. Once all of the butter is fully incorporated, use your knife to cut the butter into the flour to create a fine crumb texture. Add 150ml of your water and combine using a knife to create dough. If remaining water is required, add in. You want just enough water to allow your dough to come together into a ball. Place dough in cling film and leave in the fridge for an hour
3. While the pastry is resting, begin caramelising your onions. Finley chop onions and place in pan with oil and butter along with salt and pepper and cook on low to sweat them down. You want to the onions to go translucent so be patient with this. While the onions are cooking, peel, core and grate apples and add into the pan. Once onions begin to soften and go translucent, add sugar and cook until completely caramelised. Set aside and leave to cool fully
4. To make the sausage mix, start by peeling, coring and grating the apple. Then in a bowl place the sausage meat, garlic, herbs and spices and mix thoroughly. Add in the grated apple and fully incorporate into the mix along with the chopped sage and flour
5. Divide sausage mix into 2 even portions. Lightly flour the surface and roll one of the portions into an approximately 50cm long log. You may need to flour the sausage meat and your hands. Once you’ve done this, repeat this process again for the second portion of sausage meat
6. Once your pastry has rested, remove from the cling film and divide into 2. Place one half back into the cling film and return to the fridge to ensure it remains cold. Then, lightly flour your work surface and place the pastry into the middle. Dust the top of the pastry and the rolling pin and roll to approximately 50x15cm. Ensure you keep moving the pastry and dusting the work surface whilst rolling this out. This will avoid the pastry sticking when you try to roll it
7. Once you have your pastry at the desired length, use your thumb to tack down the pastry onto the work surface along the length closest to you. This step will allow you to get a tighter roll and a better end result
8. Once you have done this, place one of the sausage logs into the centre of the pastry and add an even layer of the caramelised onions. Fold the pastry over the sausage meat and tightly roll once to completely encase the meat. Cut away any excess pastry and roll to remove the seam. Repeat this process with the second sausage roll
9. Cut your sausage rolls to your desired size. I recommend doing this individually to ensure they are even! Score your sausage rolls with a knife, egg wash and leave in fridge for an hour. This helps avoid shrinkage
10. Remove from fridge, egg wash again and sprinkle with poppy seeds, black pepper and salt. Bake at 200 degrees C for 25 to 30 minutes. Avoid baking your sausage rolls on baking paper as this increases the chance of a soggy bottom!