Lamb pistachio sausage rolls

Name: Lamb pistachio sausage rolls
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 16 large sausage rolls
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: If you like making your own pastry this savoury one should suit you. The baking powder helps it puff in the oven and avoids any solid, uncooked dough around the rolls. Great as a meat pie crust, too.; 500g white bread flour; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 2 tbsp Keen's curry powder; 2 tsp salt; 2 tsp baking powder; 400g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed; 150ml iced water; 150ml cold milk; For the filling; 1.2kg lean minced lamb; 40g dark brown sugar; 3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed; 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped; 4 tsp ground cumin; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 egg (60g); small bunch of coriander, leaves roughly chopped; 40g dry white breadcrumbs; 125g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped; one batch of turmeric rough puff (see above); beaten egg and black onion or sesame seeds to finish

July 1, 2015

Lamb pistachio sausage rolls with turmeric pastry.William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Makes:16 large sausage rolls

The filling of these sausage rolls is reminiscent of a Lebanese kofta, but with a more intense flavour, wrapped in a spiced turmeric rough puff pastry that bakes to a vibrant gold colour. I make my own pastry, but if you're short of time use ready-rolled puff pastry and brush it with an egg beaten with a half teaspoon each of ground turmeric and cumin, and one tablespoon of milk.

Ingredients

To make spiced turmeric rough puff

If you like making your own pastry this savoury one should suit you. The baking powder helps it puff in the oven and avoids any solid, uncooked dough around the rolls. Great as a meat pie crust, too.
500g white bread flour
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp Keen's curry powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
400g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
150ml iced water
150ml cold milk
For the filling
1.2kg lean minced lamb
40g dark brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg (60g)
small bunch of coriander, leaves roughly chopped
40g dry white breadcrumbs
125g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
one batch of turmeric rough puff (see above)
beaten egg and black onion or sesame seeds to finish

Method

For the pastry
1. Put the flour, spices, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine with your fingers. Add the butter cubes, coat these in the flour then add the water and milk, and mix. Carefully mix everything to a dough, but leave the butter in lumps as you go.
2. Generously flour the work surface and dough, and try to roll it out as best you can to a strip about 40 centimetres by 20 centimetres. The butter will be lumpy, it'll look a mess, but don't worry. Fold it in by thirds, repeat the rolling and folding once more, using lots of extra flour to stop it sticking, then chill the dough for 30 minutes. Do this twice more and the dough is ready to use.
Note: Pastry freezes perfectly for up to three months if wrapped well.
For the sausage rolls
1. Put the lamb in a bowl with all the remaining ingredients (except the puff pastry, beaten egg and seeds) and mix very well by hand. Chill the mixture for a few hours, or overnight if you can, before using.
2. Roll the pastry dough to half centimetre thickness. Squeeze the filling mixture into a sausage shape that is about four centimetres in diameter and the length of your rolled-out dough. Wrap a single layer of dough around the "sausage". Where the edge of the dough overlaps, seal with a little water and chill to firm.
3. Slice into sausage rolls to a length that suits you and place on a tray lined with non-stick paper. Brush with beaten egg, slash the tops at an angle, sprinkle with onion seeds and bake at 200C/180C fan for about 40 minutes until puffed and golden.
Serve with Dan Lepard's three-herb labna and quick mango chutney.