Veal and Chorizo Sausage Roll

Veal and Chorizo Sausage Rolls

A long time ago, in (what feels like) a galaxy far, far away, I was a designer for a hospitality group in Sydney. My favourite venue was Gazebo Wine Garden in Elizabeth Bay. I loved the vibe and almost everything on the menu was phenomenal. There were a few dishes that I have always wanted to try my hand at recreating, even now more than 10 years later. One of them is this Veal and Chorizo sausage roll. It was the perfect little snack to nibble while you caught up with your girlfriends over a glass of wine or a jug of fancy sangria in the wine garden… and Foxy the Fox perched on the ceiling (if you know, you know.)

It’s probably not Sydney’s most famous sausage roll – I think Bourke Street Bakery still holds that honour – but it was my personal favourite. And this is coming from a girl who spent her entire childhood iffy about sausage rolls. Until I tried these two elevated sausage rolls, I would always avoid them at birthday parties or bakeries. I never ordered from the school canteen and avoided them at football matches. As with most things in life, homemade is sooo much better than low-quality frozen supermarket versions!

Veal and Chorizo Sausage Rolls

So, what makes a great sausage roll?

  • The meat (obviously): Questionable sausage mince and low quality ingredients are a hard ‘no’ from me. But when you make your own sausage roll, you can use pure mince – beef, veal, pork, chicken, turkey or a combination of the above (veal and pork is awesome). You can even make a plant based meat-free or veggie version! You can also add other delicious additions flavour bombs like bacon or chorizo as I have. 
  • The flavourings: Here is where you can get really creative. You have a whole world of herbs, spices, pastes, sauces and more at your fingertips. I used some finely chopped onion that I cooked until caramelised and then cooled before adding to the mince. The mixture was also flavoured with thyme, garam masala, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. I love the flavours all together but feel free to experiment with your favourite flavours. Maybe fennel seeds, harissa paste or quince jam?

    Also, don’t forget to season generously with salt and pepper. And a little Tip: Take a teaspoon of the mixture and cook for a few minutes in a frypan. This allows you to test for flavour and seasoning before you roll them up to make sure you’re happy with the flavour!
Veal and Chorizo Sausage Rolls
  • The binding ingredients: My recipe uses an egg and some breadcrumbs to ensure that the mince mixture holds together well and isn’t crumbly inside the pastry casing. I’ve also seen recipes using cornflake crumbs or grated carrot, which could be delicious additions! Another tip: take your mince out of the fridge 15-30 minutes before you start, as cold meat will have a harder time binding together. And yes, you will need to get your hands dirty. Mixing with clean, wet hands is definitely the easiest way to combine all the filling ingredients!
  • The pastry: Puff pastry is the star here, giving you a golden, crispy and flaky exterior. This is not the time and place for any other kind of pastry! If you wanted to get really fancy, you could even make your own puff pastry! But honestly it’s very time consuming. Even though I love making things from scratch, I do keep frozen puff pastry on hand at all times. An all butter puff pastry will give you a more delicious result, but isn’t always available at my local supermarket.
  • The sauce: Tomato sauce or ketchup is usually the accompaniment of choice with a sausage roll. But I’m elevating that too and serving it with my delicious homemade Tomato and Chilli Jam. Honestly this combination is so good. The sweet and slightly spiced jam is the perfect match for a fancy sausage roll. You could also try a caramelised onion relish or a quality store-bought or homemade chutney too. 
Veal and Chorizo Sausage Rolls

I just loved how these Veal and Chorizo Sausage Rolls came out! They reminded me so much of the original Gazebo dish and all the memories that went with it. I love that they make a yummy lunch served with a salad, or you could cut them up into bite-size pieces to take to your next get together with friends. They are always a crowd pleaser, I promise.

The filling was so meaty and delicious and I loved the little bursts of smoky flavour that the chorizo gave. The tomato and chilli jam was the perfect sauce to serve alongside them. Honestly, this jam has become one of the most popular recipes ever in my 14 years of blogging! In fact I am almost out and will need to make another batch very soon! As always, I love a versatile recipe so feel free to adapt it to your liking and add different spices and flavourings!

Related Post: Ottolenghi’s Herb Pie

Veal and Chorizo Sausage Rolls
Veal and Chorizo Sausage Rolls
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Veal and Chorizo Sausage Roll

This Veal and Chorizo Sausage Roll is a delicious lunch or finger food for your next party. It's easy to make and so much more delicious than store-bought!

Course Dinner, lunch, Snack
Keyword Australian, Pies & Tarts, Simple Dinners, Snack
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 20 bite-size sausage rolls

Ingredients

  • 500 g veal mince
  • 1-2 chorizo sausages, cut into 0.5cm squares
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried
  • 3/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 sheets puff pastry
  • 1 egg, extra, whisked
  • Sesame seeds or poppyseeds, to garnish
  • Homemade Tomato & Chilli Jam, to serve

Instructions

  1. Remove the mince and chorizo from the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to make the filling mixture.
  2. Cook the onion on a low heat in 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter until browned and then set aside to cool.
  3. Place the mince and diced chorizo into a large bowl. Add the cooled onion, thyme, garam masala, paprika, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and egg. Mix to combine with clean, damp hands. When the mixture has come together, add in breadcrumbs and mix again until fully combined. Divide the mixture into 4.
  4. Cut each sheet of puff pastry in half and prepare 2 baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) if baking these straight away. Place a quarter of the veal and chorizo mixture onto the long side of the pastry and pat or roll into a sausage shape the length of the pastry. Roll to enclose and gently press the two sides of the pastry together. Place seam side down onto the baking tray. Repeat 3 more times to make 4 sausage rolls in total.
  5. You can store these, covered with plastic wrap in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. When ready, brush each sausage roll with some beaten egg and scatter with your choice of topping. I like sesame seeds and poppy seeds. You could also use fennel seeds or black sesame seeds.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the puff pastry is crispy and golden. Cut each sausage roll into 5 smaller rolls if desired and serve hot with homemade tomato and chilli jam.

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