Prue Leith's leek and cheddar sausage rolls
It’s a family affair in the kitchen today as we’re joined by The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith and her niece Peta.
Proving veggie doesn’t have to be boring, they’re giving the classic sausage roll a modern makeover with their delicious leek and cheddar savoury rolls.
One bite of these perfectly flaky, flavoursome rolls and you’ll be in pastry heaven!
Leek and cheddar sausage rolls
Ingredients
1 large leek, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
115g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
140g fresh breadcrumbs
A good handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten, plus 1 large beaten egg yolk
40ml whole milk
Salt and black pepper to season
250g all-butter puff pastry
Method
Heat the oven to 210°C/fan 190°C/gas mark 6–7. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, mix the leek, cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, whole beaten egg and milk. Season with salt and black pepper. The mixture should be damp enough to just hold its shape when squeezed together.
Roll out the pastry away from you to a large 40 x 30cm (16 x 12in) rectangle, so that the shorter edge is nearest you. Divide the filling in half and spoon each down one side of the two long edges of the pastry, packing the mixture tightly with your fingers to shape it into two long sausages.
Brush the pastry between the two ‘sausages’ with the beaten egg yolk.
Roll the pastry in from the outer edges into the middle, so that you end up with the two rolls encased in pastry, sitting alongside each other. Use a sharp knife to cut the pastry down the middle, dividing the two rolls.
Press along the seam of each one to ensure it is bonded well and use a fork to mark along the seams. Transfer the rolls to the lined baking sheet, then brush them all over with the remaining egg yolk. Use a sharp knife to cut diagonal slashes into the tops at regular intervals along the length of them. If you want to freeze them, do that now.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and golden. Check they are cooked on the undersides and cook them for a little longer if necessary. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm or cooled, each sausage cut into four pieces to give you eight large rolls.
Prue's top tip: These rolls are good served hot with mustard, or cold for a picnic. If baking from frozen, allow the sausage rolls to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, and give them an extra few minutes in the oven. Use a sharp knife or skewer to check the centre is piping hot before removing them from the oven.
RECIPE TAKEN FROM THE VEGETARIAN KITCHEN BY PRUE + PETA LEITH