Lincolnshire Sausage Rolls

The great British snack at its best: coarse, sage-heavy Lincolnshire sausagemeat rolled in buttery puff pastry, glazed and baked until deep gold and flaky, the unmistakable savoury warmth of sage in every bite

Origin: Lincolnshire, England

From the journey of Sage.

The Lincolnshire sausage is one of England's proudest regional sausages, distinguished from all others by two things: a coarse, chunky texture, and a generous, defining quantity of sage. Where other British sausages lean on pepper or nutmeg, the Lincolnshire is unmistakably a sage sausage, the herb so central that the county and the herb are spoken of in one breath. Wrapped in puff pastry, that sage-rich sausagemeat makes the finest of all sausage rolls, the warm, savoury, slightly camphoraceous note of the sage cutting the richness of the pork and the butter of the pastry. Sausage rolls are the everyday glory of the British bakery and the picnic, the buffet and the lunchbox, and made with proper sage-laden Lincolnshire meat they are a world away from the pallid versions of the garage forecourt.

Ingredients

Filling

500 g coarse pork sausagemeat (or Lincolnshire sausages, skins removed)
3 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 small onion, very finely chopped
0.5 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp salt

Pastry

320 g puff pastry (1 ready-rolled sheet, or a block rolled out)
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
1 tsp sesame or nigella seeds (optional)

Method

Mix the sausagemeat with the chopped sage, onion, salt, and pepper until well combined. If using Lincolnshire sausages, which are already sage-rich, add a little less extra sage.
Roll the puff pastry into a long rectangle about 3mm thick. Shape the sausagemeat into a long sausage down one long edge of the pastry.
Brush the far edge of the pastry with beaten egg, then roll the pastry over the meat to enclose it, finishing seam-side down. Press to seal.
Cut the log into 8 rolls (or smaller for party-sized). Place on a lined tray, brush all over with beaten egg, scatter with seeds if using, and snip a couple of small slashes in the top of each.
Bake at 200°C (180°C fan / 400°F) for 28 to 32 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and crisp and the filling is cooked through.
Cool a little on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature, with mustard or chutney.

Notes

Genuine Lincolnshire sausagemeat is coarse and heavily saged; if using plain sausagemeat, the added sage and a coarse grind get you close. A spoonful of chopped apple or a little wholegrain mustard in the filling are good additions. Serve as picnic and party food, or as a hot supper with beans or salad.

The Gastrographer

Name: Lincolnshire Sausage Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: England
Ingredients: 500 g coarse pork sausagemeat (or Lincolnshire sausages, skins removed); 3 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped; 1 small onion, very finely chopped; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.5 tsp salt; 320 g puff pastry (1 ready-rolled sheet, or a block rolled out); 1 egg, beaten, to glaze; 1 tsp sesame or nigella seeds (optional)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control