Sausage Rolls (Puff Pastry)

No one can turn down sausage wrapped in puff pastry. It's not the most elegant appetizer, but it is the most irresistible - especially with a side of mustard.

1½ lbs good quality pork sausage
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 (17 oz) pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

In a large bowl mix together the sausage, basil, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste until all the seasonings are well distributed throughout.

Roll out all the puff pastry into one large rectangle about ⅛" thick. Put the wide side of the rectangle to your left. Form the sausage meat into a log about 1" thick and long enough to fit the width of the pastry. Lay this log along the whole edge. Roll the pastry around the sausage, brush with beaten eggs at the join, and cut so that the pastry has just enough room to slightly overlap. Repeat the process with the remaining sausage meat and pastry. Line up all the sausage rolls making sure the seam on each is at the bottom and not showing. Brush the tops with the eggs and cut the sausage rolls into either 1½ or 3" logs.

Spread about one" apart on a baking sheet, and bake until golden brown and the meat is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. You can also freeze the rolls to be cooked later. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 24 (3") rolls or 48 (1½") appetizer rolls.