Scotch Rolls

Reminders



For a time my father and I were the musical directors at the Ben Reekie Highland Games in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This meant we arranged for judges, bands, organized the various instrumental competitions. This also meant being at the game site at 7:00am Saturday morning and I, for one, was usually hung over and suffering from sleep deprivation.

The first hour or two were rough — particularly after the coffee we brought with us ran out. But around 8:30 the food vendors started setting up and, although they didn't officially open until ten, one of them would serve the workers out of the back of the tent. For me this meant more coffee and a sausage roll.

I haven't had a sausage roll (nor thought much about the games) since then but a recent question about how to make them in eGullet prompted both memories. They couldn't be simpler.

Sausage Roll

1 lb country sausage
1 pkg puff pastry (two sheets)

Heat oven to 450F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Beat egg in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water.

Cut pastry into thirds along creases, then cut each third in half. You should have 12 rectangles about 4"x6". You may need to roll out some of the rectangles to increase the size.

Cut sausage, through the plastic wrapping, into 12 patties. Form each patty into a 6" log by rolling it between your hands. Wrap each sausage log in pastry rectangle using the egg wash to seal the seam. Using a sharp knife, score the top of each roll.

Bake on center rack for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 400F, and cook another 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

I used a rather mild sage-flavored sausage in this batch, but next time I'll go with a hot sausage.

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