The show is over and I have loved playing the comic relief role of Alice in our local amateur dramatics theatre company production of Albert Nobbs. Such a great cast and crew and such a fun role!
Now for the cast party!
Finger food seemed the best way to go this time. Truthfully, I’m more at ease if I’ve done all the prep beforehand. Though I do admire cooks who can chat, drink and whip up food after the guests arrive, I am just not of that ilk. I like to organise well in advance so I can quickly reheat in batches.
The plan: the usual chips and dips with antipasto platters, small hot dogs (frankfurts) in tiny dinner rolls, tiny hamburger sliders, buffalo wings (chicken wings in spicy sauce) and cheese stuffed potato balls and a huge platter of prawn nasi goreng. The local fish and chip shop had been put on order to make 2 large lots of chips which I would serve with hummus. Divine!
I studiously wrote out my shopping list a few days in advance. “He who Likes to Food Shop” saw the list on the bench and kindly popped off to shop while I was rehearsing. So thoughtful! However, I had written sausages instead of cocktail frankfurts so I ended up with two trays of beef and lamb sausages.
Hmmm, what to do?
Frozen puff pastry sheets are a mainstay in my freezer and I often make meatballs with squashed out sausage meat… I had an idea. It was suddenly obvious. I would make my first foray into sausages rolls.
Not just the regular ones but real ‘show stopping’, yummy, “Gosh, these are delicious!” sausage rolls. Reheating them in batches sounded do-able. They also freeze wonderfully too!
The verdict?
I am pleased to say they were a smash hit with the cast. I ended sending some home with friends as well and promising to blog the recipe. Do try them!
FRUCTOSE/FRUCTAN & GLUTEN INTOLERANT GUESTS
A NOTE:
I am FRUCTAN intolerant which means I can’t eat onions so let me quickly introduce you to ASAFOETIDA POWDER as an onion substitute. NOTE this is NOT ONION POWDER. I use it instead of the onion in almost every recipe. It gives a perfect onion flavour without the stomach problems. It’s a simple powder and readily available at Indian/Asian and Middle Eastern deli’s. I warn you, you will be knocked over by the smell when you open the jar, but don’t be put off ASAFOETIDA POWDER is something to remember if you have a fructose/ fructan intolerant guest at your table. A little goes a long way so be sparing.
Make sure you buy a gluten free one such as from the All Organic Store if you are gluten free as some asafoetida powders contain gluten. Always read the label! I use Gluten free pastry as well for “He Who Is Gluten Free” and two other cast members. ASK THE BUTCHER IF THEY ARE GLUTEN FREE SAUSAGES.
GF Italian Sausage Rolls using Beef Sausages
Ingredients
2 x GF Frozen Puff Pastry sheets
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 red capsicum
6-7 thin GF beef sausages
2 pitted olives
4 dried tomatoes
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 small carrot, chopped
parmesan cheese finely grated,
grind of black pepper
1 tsp crushed chilli (jar)
1 chopped onion (or alternatively 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder)
Method
Lay out 2 frozen pastry sheets to defrost. Make sure you leave each one on the plastic divider sheet because they make it easier to roll!
Now squish the meat out of the sausage skins. Put the olives and dried tomatoes, carrots and onion or asafoetida powder, herbs and pepper all into a processor and whiz til fine and combined. Add this to the meat, except the parmesan. Enjoy the hand squishing and mixing til all combined.
Run a knife down each sheet to halve it. With a little bowl of water near by (to wet your hands) divide your mixture into 4. Sprinkle the parmesan over each sheet of pastry. Fashion a long sausage shape with your 1/4 of mixture along the edge. Use the plastic to help you roll the pastry over and along to the other edge. Wet the edge before the last roll to seal it. Cut to what ever size you want. For crowd finger food I cut each roll into 6 or 4; for lunch-size just in half.
Place into a 180ºC oven for 40-45 minutes (or until you can smell them) and they are golden brown. Test one to make sure they’re cooked through. Let them cool on the tray or a rack. You can refrigerate for a few days, freeze them or go ahead and devour them. If you do decide to freeze, defrost them before reheating only because it’s quicker and they will be hot.
To Reheat
150ºC oven for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with good old fashioned tomato sauce or passata with a 1/2 tsp of sugar (for the acidity) with salt and pepper to taste.
GF Moroccan Sausage Rolls using Lamb Sausages
Using the same idea as the Italian sausage rolls, here is a Moroccan inspired alternative…
Ingredients
2 x GF Frozen Puff Pastry sheets
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 red capsicum
6-7 thin plain GF lamb sausages
2 dried apricots(omit for fructose)
1 Tsp Moroccan Spice mix
1 small carrot, chopped
1 Tsp chick peas (tinned)
1 small brown onion (or alternatively 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder)
1 lge sprig of mint
and a sprinkle of dukkah or paprika
Method
Place the garlic, capsicum, apricots, spice, carrots, chick peas, mint and onions (or powder) in a processor. Blitz till fine. Add to the bowl with the lamb sausage meat. Wet your hands and hand mix thoroughly together. Now follow the same method as above for rolling. Put tiny sprinkle of dukkah or paprika on each roll.
Serving Lamb Moroccan Rolls
Moroccan recipes usually have tomato in them so much like the above recipe, why not complete the authentic flavour by dipping in tomato sauce or passata?
To Reheat
150ºC oven for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with good old fashioned tomato sauce or use passata with a 1/2 tsp of sugar (for the acidity) with salt and pepper to taste.
