I have always considered myself quite a nice person. I like food of all shapes, flavours and colours. From every country and continent. I don’t discriminate, I am an equal opportunity eater. It’s only the doctors who say I’m intolerant. And certain foods who refuse to tolerate me. They certainly refuse to recognise and respect my right to eat them without major physical discomfort and distress.


Gluten and lactose are not my friends.


Despite the negative attitudes surrounding me from many of those I love best, (cakes, ice cream, hot toast) I decided to become a chef. Not always easy when you live in a bread and milk filled world. I like to think that this has helped me become a better person as I embrace my differences and refuse to let the gluten get me down. I believe InTolerance. I am the InTolerant Chef.

Food should not be about what you can’t eat, but what you can and what you enjoy eating. This blog is about my journey of cooking and eating and discovery. It’s not a definitive guide to allergy awareness nor do my intolerances make me an expert. Your body is your responsibility, not mine. I only know what works for me.


I can tell you this..... No glutens were harmed in the making of this website.

July 17, 2013

Pork and Apple Sausage Rolls



I've been informed that Toasted Sandwiches are getting a bit boring

With a week of Winter break School Holidays left, apparently I need to come up with something a bit more inspiring for littlej to munch on.
She is generally happy being left to free-range and graze from the riches of both refrigerator and pantry, but it's slim pickings after a week and I haven't yet resorted to junk food to keep her quiet.

She wants something warm and tasty, and I want something easy, warm and tasty that can be reheated well and that we can both enjoy.....pies are out- I have yet to find a gf one that is even remotely edible, soup is out- we've been having plenty of that for dinner so it's 'boring' too, how about Sausage Rolls?

Warm, tasty, will last a couple of days, and if I use pre-packaged pastry really easy to make indeed. Perfect solution!


To keep things really simple, today I'm giving the new Simply Gluten Free brand that has recently been released at Coles Supermarket a try. It's not terribly cheap, at $10 for 3 standard size sheets, but it certainly is convenient as I can just pull it out the freezer whenever I want.
This isn't a paid for or gifted product review, it's just to satisfy my personal curiosity of a new product and to share my findings with you too Dear Readers




The sheet of pastry- I did find out there is a flat surface and a ridged surface. Not a problem for today's recipe, but important to remember if I'm worried about appearances on the finished product




Now the very important filling!

500grm Pork Mince
1 medium Carrot- don't bother to peel
1 Green Apple- don't bother to peel
1 small Onion- definitley peel
2 slices of gluten free Bread
1 big tab Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
good pinch of Nutmeg

1 Egg- beaten lightly
Sesame Seeds





Pop the prepped apple and veggies into a food processor and whizz up until very finely chopped




See, nice and small
You could also chop them by hand, or grate them if you had too




Add in the bread slices, mustard and seasonings and whizz again until a nice mushy mess
I didn't use egg to bind the mixture today as it can make the mix quite hard as it cooks, and I wanted a soft, pasty kind of effect. I knew the moisture from the apple would work with the bread to hold it all together quite well




Pop the veggie mix in with the pork mince and mix together really well




Let's face it, the best way to do this is by squishing it all through your fingers- and it's actually kinda fun too :)




For generously proportioned sausage rolls, take a third of the mixture and lay it near one edge of the pastry sheet. You can see that I kept the plastic backing on it for now so it wouldn't stick to the bench




Brush the opposite side of the pastry sheet with the beaten egg so it will glue together as it cooks




Using the plastic backing to help you, roll the pastry around the meat filling, and over to conceal the joined seam of pastry underneath the sausage roll . Try and keep it tight as the meat filling will shrink a bit as it cooks




Brush the top and sides of the finished sausage roll with the egg and sprinkle it generously with the sesame seeds for a bit of colour and added texture. Place on a greased baking sheet then bake at 180*C for about 45 minutes or until the centre is cooked through




From left to right- 'regular' gluten puff pasty for comparison, gluten free puff pastry that snapped as it rolled as you really need to make sure that it's completely thawed all the way through, juuuuust right gluten free sausage roll that shall be my photographic model




Finished product, but the tray got turned around so the regular gluten pastry is now on the right
Don't worry and think that the rolls are burnt, that's just the juices that have oozed out as they cooked. You have to remember that apple and onions have a lot of natural sugars and that's all you can see caramelised on the base of the pan



Lovely!




I really enjoyed these sausage rolls, the filling had plenty of flavour from the apples and veggies, and they kept it nice and moist too -  but the pastry.....was just OK. It was a fine gluten free pastry that baked up well and really didn't add any flavour. It was a good carrier for the rolls and would be for a tart base too. I didn't see any evidence of Puffing though, so sadly I don't think it lives up to the expectation that calling it Puff Pastry gives. Don't think from the photo that the pastry is undercooked, it tasted fine and certainly had no doughy rawness, it just behaved differently than hoped for.

I would use this pastry again as it was Adequate

There was no rich, buttery crunch or flakes, and you really need to make sure that it's thawed well to be pliable- but it's OK as plain pastry.
I think if you lower your expectations just a little you'll be happy that Coles have come up with a handy, convenient, adequate pastry product that you can have on hand when needed.
Just not puffy :(



So Dear Readers, do you use Pre-packaged puff pastry, or do you go to the effort of making your own?



36 comments:

  1. Hehe I just saw you tweet these and I had to come and take a look! I love sausage rolls! They used to be my school canteen pick and these look great! :D

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    1. Definitely a school canteen stand-by Lorraine! Thanks sweetie :) x

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  2. Replies
    1. It is, I really had my fingers crossed that the pastry would work as advertised :(

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  3. Your photo initially got me, true!
    Love the idea of the gluten free range and was curious too!
    Seriously, I never thought I could make puff pastry....no sugar from scratch...recipe on my blog...really...
    Now, is the only recipe for me as it is sooooooooooo simple to do! Really enjoyed your honest review!
    Cheers! Joanne

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    1. Thanks Joanne! I usually make my own pastry as well, I just wanted to try out the new product for when I felt lazy :)

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  4. Rebecca - I have never seen GF puff pastry in our stores. However, I did have some stuffed with spinach and cheese in a restaurant once that was to die for...like the real thing! (they had it brought in by some bakery)
    I make homemade sausage rolls with my regular homemade gf pastry - a lot of work, but super tasty!

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    1. How yummy Ina! A good sausage roll is a definitely a thing of beauty indeed isn't it? :)

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  5. I really like sausage rolls. I don't make my own puff and I'll use the cheap stuff for us but I'll buy Careme for company. :)

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    1. Oo La La, Careme is the creme de la creme of pastry isn't it Maureen! I wish they would try thier hand at gluten free- I bet it would be awesome indeed :)

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  6. Becca, it always amazes me that you can make GF look so good! Lucky LittleJ! I'm sorry it didn't puff though.. xx

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    1. Why high thanks indeed Celia! I am constantly telling littlej how lucky she is to have me for a mother, one day she'll believe it! :)xox

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  7. sadly - 'puff' is often lacking from GF puff pastry isnt it! They should just call it pastry lol

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    1. My thinking exactly Lisa, that way you don't get disappointed with the result! It's actually fine pastry, but lousy puff pastry :)

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  8. I only use pre-packed GF pastry. I tried making it once (without a mixer) & it stuck to everything it touched. I had a heavy layer of it stuck to my hands ... they turned into pastry clubs. I'm suprised you didn't hear my roar of rage ;) I used the Pastry Pantry stuff and the puff doesn't puff. I suspect Coles are re-badging the PP product.

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    1. Gluten free baking can have it's own set of rules can't it Ista? Tricky little buggers indeed!

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  9. I forgot to add that I've been craving a sausage roll, so am very likely to be making these soon. I wouldn't have thought of including apple in the mix.

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    1. I hope you like them then. The apple adds moisture and sweetness to the mix, and helps cut through the richness of the pork- yummo!

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  10. I've been meaning to email you to ask if there's a good GF pastry available for days when you want to bake sausage rolls but everyone in your family has gone GF. I haven't tried this brand. What a shame there's no 'puff'. I would love to try it though and give it a road test to satisfy my own curiosity. Thanks Bec for letting me know it's available xx

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    1. Hiya Charlie, I wish I had the answer for us both! This pastry was a fine pastry, but there's one from the Pastry Pantry that puffs a little bit, but seems a bit heavier to eat. You get it a health food type shops for about the same price. Let me know if you give either of them a try and what you think of them :) xox

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  11. Adding carrot and green apple to ground meat sounds fabulous and super flavorful ! I have to try it ASAP; I thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming up with this unique, lovely idea :)

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  12. I love this recipe! My kids really like it when I make homemade sausage rolls too.

    I laughed at the comment about your kids being free range and having the run of the fridge and pantry. My kids are free range too :)

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    1. Thanks, free range is healthier and much less work for me as well :) Perfect solution!

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  13. look fab Rebecca! Love the addition of carrot and apple. Bet they give them a nice sweet touch :)

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    1. Thanks Lisa, they really do make a difference and add a little something special!

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  14. I ALWAYS buy puff pastry. Life is just too short to make my own!

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    1. It is a chore of love to be sure Amanda, a great way to waste a whole day :)

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  15. Hi, these look great. I have some GF puff pastry in the freezer - not that brand tho. I am curious about cooking the GF and Non GF on the same tray. I struggle to allow Non GF things in the oven let alone the tray when baking. You dont have a problem?

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    1. Everybody and their InTolerance levels are different. It isn't touching mine and it won't affect me negatively. If I was coming for someone else I would certainly use separate trays, tongs, boards etc, and even wear gloves to prevent cross contamination. I know what works for me in the sanctuary of my own kitchen, as you would know your limits in your own. Regarding the oven, I don't consider there to be an issue to cook both types at once if you don't use the fan, but again that's up to each individual. I also have two ovens- just in case :)

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    2. Thank you. Perhaps I'm a little too precious in my cooking! I sometimes cook both GF & Non GF in the oven together but put the non GF in a high sided dish!!

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  16. I noticed that you thought the pastry was undercooked. I wonder if you cut your sausage rolls into smaller lengths before cooking the pastry would cook better. I wonder also if the pastry was properly cooked through and not underdone that it would infact puff! worth a try anyway :) Food for thought
    Emma

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    1. No, I commented that the pastry was NOT undercooked Emma, and I only mentioned that as the pale colour of gluten free goods can often lead to that mistaken conclusion. It was cooked through just fine, I don't think that was an issue at all. Why don't you give the pastry a try and let me know how you get on, I wouldbe interested to know if you have any success

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  17. Never tried this recipe before, sounds really delicious though. Thanks for sharing.


    Simon

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