Sausage roll wreath with Dijonnaise

The golden-brown deliciousness of the sausage roll takes another step to greatness in this party wreath, with a filling flavoured with shallots, pancetta and a touch of fresh herbs and spices.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  8-10

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Sausage roll

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight
• 50 g thinly sliced pancetta, finely diced
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tsp (15 ml) brandy, optional
• 450-500 g ground pork
• ¼ cup (35 g) breadcrumbs
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 3 tsp finely chopped sage
• 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 egg
• 3 tsp milk or water
• 4 tsp stoneground Dijon mustard
• 3 tsp sesame seeds

Dijonnaise

• ¼ cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
• 1½ tbsp stoneground Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Arrange your oven rack to the lowest position and heat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place a skillet over medium heat and add in the pancetta, butter and shallot. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the pancetta is crisp and the shallots are softened and lightly golden brown, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, if using, or 3 teaspoons of water, then transfer to a large bowl to cool completely to room temperature.
3. When cool, add in the pork, breadcrumbs, garlic, sage, rosemary and paprika and season with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
4. Unroll the sheet of puff pastry onto a large work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 25 cm (10 inch) square. Cut the pastry in half so that you have two long rectangles. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk or water to make an egg wash. Brush a little of the egg wash onto the short end of one of the rectangles and affix the second by slightly overlapping the pastry and pressing to seal. This will give you one long rectangle of puff pastry.
5. Spread the Dijon mustard down the centre of the pastry and, using your hands, mound the pork mixture into a sausage the same length as the puff pastry. Place the sausage on top of the mustard and brush one side of the pastry with a little egg wash. Fold and roll the pastry over the sausage and arrange seam side down on the parchment lined sheet pan.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut two-thirds of the way through the sausage roll roughly every 5 cm (2 inches). Bring the ends of the roll together to form a circle, pinching the puff pastry together to seal. Lightly score each section with a paring knife. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash and scatter with sesame seeds.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown and the sausage is cooked through.
8. Meanwhile, make the Dijonnaise by combining the mayonnaise and Dijon in a small serving bowl.
9. Transfer the sausage roll wreath onto a serving platter and serve with the Dijonnaise. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.