Garlicky Duck Sausage Rolls

I often hear people dismiss British food as boring, but I've always been fascinated by it. Of course, I'm fascinated by the food of all cultures, so maybe that's not very surprising. But with names like Toad in the Hole, Bubble and Squeak, Spotted Dick, Cullen Skink, and Welsh Rarebit, how could one not be intrigued? And it's not just the names, I've tried all but spotted dick...and each is tasty.

One thing that I hadn't tried making myself until yesterday was a simple sausage roll. The name may not be exciting, but I don't know why I waited so long to actually try them. How could sausage baked inside a pastry crust be anything but delicious? And while it's anything but boring, I did shake things up a bit and use duck sausage in place of pork sausage.

While I made some "minis" in the spirit of holiday appetizers, you can cut them larger and make sandwich-style sausage rolls which would make a stellar meal served along side a crisp green salad.

For mine, I sauteed some onions and lots of garlic before adding it to some fresh herbs, bread crumbs, and already flavor-packed duck sausage from Maple Leaf Farms. The sausage is then tucked inside some store-bought puff pastry, brushed with a bit of egg and a smattering of sesame seeds and baked until golden.

The garlicky sausage scent that escapes from the oven while they're baking is intoxicating—and I'll admit that these are far too easy to eat. In other words, if you're making the mini variety, do it when you have other people around to help you enjoy them. I have a new must-have addition to my holiday appetizer assortment...and it's not boring at all.

Garlicky Duck Sausage Rolls

This crisp, golden pastry stuffed with garlicky duck sausage makes a delicious sausage roll for your next meal or even a holiday appetizer.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake appetizer entree duck garlic puff pastry

Ingredients (6 (large) or 20 (mini))

• 1 tablespoon duck fat or olive oil
• 2 small onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 pound duck sausage
• 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 sheet (~8 ounces) puff pastry, cold
• 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat duck fat in a small pan and saute onion until it just turns translucent and tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine cooled mixture with duck sausage, bread crumbs sage and parsley, then season with a pinch of salt and a few grates of black pepper. Divide sausage mixture into two equal parts, then form into logs the length of the puff pastry.

Roll out pastry a bit (to about 15" x 12") and cut it in half lengthwise. Brush both halves with some of the egg wash, then set one log down the center of each. Fold the pastry over the sausage so that you have two long rolls, pressing at the seam (you can use a fork to crimp the edges, if you like). Brush the entire top of each sausage roll with egg wash, then sprinkle with a good smattering of sesame seeds. Use a sharp knife to cut each log into 10 small rolls or 3 large rolls. Line up on prepared baking sheet.

Slide into preheated oven and bake until the pastry is puffed and golden and the sausage is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should register at least 165° F when inserted into center of sausage filling), 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and use a spatula to transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool (so that they're not sitting in any grease on the baking sheet - no soggy bottoms!).

As a Maple Leaf Farms brand ambassador, I sometimes receive free duck products to taste, cook with, and share. All opinions shared are always my own.