There’s an innate sense of bargaining and loathe of wastefulness in Chinese culture. I could give you countless examples of this but the one I remember most clearly was when one of my mother’s well to do friends took it to the extreme and used to place used postage stamps on her Christmas cards and then drop them off in everyone’s mailbox by hand.
Every year a few days before Christmas on a weekend, we would hear her pulling up in her car in our driveway on the weekend when the postie never came, the metal clink of the mailbox flap clanking against metal and sure enough there would be her Christmas card. We always found it odd that there was unspoken illusion that she had spent the 30c on the stamp. Presents within our family and parent’s friends were always given with the price sticker on them, just in case you didn’t know how much they spent on you and therefore how much they cared about you.
If I didn’t eat my boiled egg and tomato sauce breakfast I’d find it wrapped up in my after school rice dumpling snack wrapped in bamboo leavers. My grandmother held the secret to wrapping up sticky, seasoned rice in bamboo leaves and shaping them like three dimensional stars. They should be filled with shiitake mushrooms, egg yolk and juicy, fatty cubes of pork. But if I didn’t eat my breakfast they’d be filled with whatever I didn’t eat which was mostly egg and tomato sauce (thankfully she never verged into gruesome territory and stuffed soggy froot loops in them). If you’ve ever been curious as to what egg and tomato stuffed rice dumplings tastes like… Kill. That. Urge.
I don’t know how it came about but I had a wheel of King Island Ash Discovery Blue that needed to be eaten and I hate to see anything go to waste. I think it was the huge amount of travelling that I had been doing so somehow, what would ordinarily be eaten with verve and gusto was left until it was close to the best before date. Then came a delivery from Beerenberg with a jar of their caramelised onions amongst other goodies. It was then that I recalled Claire’s recipe for blue cheese and caramelised onion sausage rolls. It helped that I was about to leave Mr NQN for some travelling and he looked at my pitifully when I asked him what he was going to eat for lunch. “Subway, Monday to Friday” was not the right answer so I decided to make these.
The flavour is sophisticated, from the blue cheese whose pungent flavour is toned down by the sweet onions and aromatic fennel seeds. Although the recipe looks complicated, like most sausage rolls, it is an easy task and requires a bit of squishing of the ingredients and some penis shaping. Yes I did say that and I’m afraid that’s what the sausage shaping reminds me of. Don’t let the penis metaphor put you off (or perhaps it had the opposite effect) but these are really lovely sausage rolls. I actually don’t think they need a sauce, the tomato sauce is fine but the flavour is all in these little bite sized beauties.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you throw out food a lot? Or do you try and use every little bit as much as possible?
Cheese, Caramelised Onion, Pork & Fennel Sausage Rolls
- 3-3.5 sheets of butter puff pastry
- 500g pork or sausage mince
- 280g caramelised onions (I used a Beerenberg one)
- 175g blue cheese, crumbled (or indeed any cheese you like)
- 3 tablespoons mustard (dijon or seeded)
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg, whisked
- sesame seeds to sprinkle
1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line two large baking trays with parchment. Take out the sheets of puff pastry from the freezer and allow to thaw while you mix together the ingredients. Cut them vertically down the centre so that you get two rectangles.
2. In a large bowl, mix the mince, onions, blue cheese, mustard,fennel seeds, salt and pepper. I usually don those very unsexy latex gloves to mix it all up and it does the trick. Without taking the gloves off, shape into a log, remove penis imagery from mind, and place down the centre of the puff pastry on all of the pastry rectangles. Remove the gloves and then fold over the pastry pressing down gently so that the ends stick together.
3. Cut each log into six pieces or however many you want and place seam down on the parchment, about 1-2cms apart. Whisk the egg and then brush the tops of the sausage rolls with it and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
76 Comments | Add your own
In this home almost nothing goes wasted, my mother taut me well! Leftover becomes next day breakfast, lunch or dinner. Food scraps go into compost bin. When I have to throw something, I feel really guilty and can feel my mother’s eyes on my back…
OMG, you made me burst out laughing at work (the P reference)! Fortunately, everyone was out for lunch so I had the place to myself. That’s a very funny story about the Chinese. I hate throwing away food in particular so we often will have left overs remade. It’s not often something goes in the trash without a gallant effort to reuse.
Those look so pretty and appetizing! Sausage rolls are so scrummy. I love the addition of caramelized onions.
Cheers,
Rosa
I want sausage rolls now! I wanted them after Claire originally posted the recipe, and now I want them even more!
A lovely post (no pun intended) that made me smile, Lorraine. Elizabeth Chong always tells stories of how the Chinese people hate to waste anything. These look yummy! Fennel and pork marry so beautifully.
I hate how much food I end up throwing out. I try and give it away and try to be more careful about how much I buy, but cooking for one is difficult for me. I always make too much!
What an awesome makeover on the traditional sausage roll! It looks stunning
At our place we try to throw out as less food as possible – too much cake? Give to the neighbours. Fruit starting to go? Put it in some homemade juice
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I remember when Claire posted these and remember thinking I’d like to try this recipe because they do sound great with the blue cheese in them. And these have to be so much more tasty than a subway sub. I wasn’t ever given anything wrapped in a bamboo leaf in my school days xx
Being Polish, we used to be pretty savvy too, although we never went as saving stamps, but yes, I try to save and use up as much food as possible. Freezing is a great way or making a mish mash pasta are my favourite ways of saving food from rotting.
Yum yum yum! I had to re read that line before I realised you meant it. Thought you had made a typo! Haha too funny. We do throw out a lot unfortunately but we are getting better and our worm farm is well stocked w/ fruit & veg we don’t use.
I never throw out food. My mom always ask me to think about the farmers and the poor people.
They sound yummy despite the penis analogy
I don’t like to waste food either although with two massive dogs that very rarely really happens!
I have half a jar of those caramelised onions (great aren’t they) in my fridge and I was contemplating making sausage rolls for a party tomorrow anyway. Might as well give these a go!
I’m pretty terrible, I need to get better at using my leftovers, I tend to throw a lot out. Bad I know. I just hate leftovers. I don’t like things that have been sitting around in the fridge for a few days.
Brilliant! I can almost taste them Lorraine, nothing better than home made because you know exactly what ingredients have gone into them.Have to try these but limit myself to one, puff pastry is not kind to one trying to lose weight!
Hate to throw food away and always try to come up with a recipe that can use items but if all else fails, the chooks are happy to oblige.
Oh no, I hate to throw out food, as you, I learned it from my family. What is in your pate you have to eat, if not, you will see it again in dinner or for breakfast period. That’s how my mother raised us.
These sausage rolls look delicious!! I hate wasting food although I admit I do end up throwing food out at times due to poor planning. Since I’ve started baking, I really try to use up all my ingredients which is a great platform for creating new recipes.
I am so making these. Blue cheese I would never have thought of it. Sounds fantastic.
Yummo, the sausage rolls look fabulous!
Having been brought up in UK by a mother who had lived through 2 wars, there was never any waste.
She taught me well as I learned to utilise anything and everything in respect of food. It still saddens me to see so much food wasted in this day and age, there is absolutely no need for waste. My mother would threaten to send our food to the starving children in Biafra if we didn’t eat it! We 5 kids were not allowed to leave the table until our plates were cleared.
I hate wasting food too. Fortunately we have two garbage disposal machines (aka dogs) in our house who will eat basically anything with gusto. The few things they won’t or can’t eat go into the compost. That is, of course, after we’ve tried to use and eat as much as possible ourselves.
LOL at “requires a bit of squishing of the ingredients and some penis shaping”
A great way to start my day, thanks!
Interesting combination of sausage roll ingredients, TRUE!
LOVE Beerenberg (SA) products too!
Wasting food is a BIG pet peeve for me!
Even when hosting theme parties on a regular basis, is minimal that does not get eaten, frozen, reused…THAT’S my recipe!
Wow, these sound amazing. Love the picnic styling
I’m a desperate non-food-waster, to the extent that I do gross things like eat entire cans of Tomato Pringles in one sitting because they’re disgusting and I have to get rid of them but I can’t throw it out so… I eat it. Yeah, I need to work on that.
Hmmm, maybe pringles could be crushed up in these sausage rolls? Surely the delicious cheese would overpower the grossness…
Great, now all I want is sausage rolls for breakfast!
They look amazing, your stories always make me smile.
You said penis.
I couldn’t love you more right now.
x
This truly is a sophisticated combo! Looks very, very appetizing to a gal who does not bake
! Both being an ardent Greenie and having a very meagre pocketbook make me use every bit of what is in the fridge and the pantry! Get angry at myself when I find something growing fur at the back of the veggie crisper! As I don’t eat breakfast cereals, yesterday’s lunch is planned to become today’s breakfast: works beautifully 
!
I live with two men and even when I specifically make too much of something so I can have leftovers, it almost always gets gobbled up!
I try not to throw out leftovers but sometimes the original wasn’t the best so the leftover aren’t very tempting!
Asians are definitely frugal. It’s in our blood, isn’t it? LOL
i was just thinking of making sausage rolls today, caramelised apple and pork, i guess some extra cheese and onion wont be too bad right?
Thanks for the recipe Lorraine! I have got caramelised onions and blue cheese in the fridge which I need to use up
What a fabulous dish to leave for your hubs. I am getting better about not wasting food. Have fun traveling! xoxo Mum
Oh lovely! I’m such a tightarse when it comes to not wasting food, I have little ziplock bags in my freezer full of leftover bits and bobs like if I open a tub of tomato paste and only use half I freeze the rest, same with icing, ends of ginger, fresh kaffir lime and bay leaves…so many baggies! I also eat YMCA – Yesterday’s Meal Cooked Again, I’m not very good at eating excatly the same thing twice but I tend to re cook or reinvent a dish instead…
I love your take on a classic sausage roll. I can imagine the combination of caramelized onions with cheese. YUM.
Definitely bookmarked – I really want to try a veg version – though I am not hugely into blue cheese and think a sharp vintage might go well here in its place. Love your picnic photo – and I am glad Mr NQN has something nice to eat while you were away. The story of the stamps is bizarre – seems as much about the way to do things as to save money. I try to use leftovers as much as possible but can’t imagine the egg and tomato leftovers – my worst things to eat as a child!
I am absolutely making these for dinner tonight. Maybe use goats cheese or feta instead of blue
And make my own caremelised onions cos we’re poor right now.
OH this reminds me of when we had sausage rolls at Zumbo in Manly
those were great too! Your travels for May sound divine by the way.. but let’s catch up when you’re back?
I try not to toss any food at all. I was raised not to waste anything. It’s often tough because the mister doesn’t like leftovers so it’s a challenge to make something new.
Now, how can I make these without thinking “penis shape”? Let’s not even think about eating them and thinking that. LOL
They sound delicious though!
Unfortunately I throw out food more often than I should need too. Sometimes life just gets in the way and I don’t get to cook what I had planned. I’d love to be like the French and just pick stuff up every couple of days, but I really cannot be bothered braving the supermarkets more than once a week (if that!)
Ooh, lovely recipe Lorraine & a perfect use of the Beerenberg onions – which I always have on hand!
I never throw anything out. My grandmother and now my mom taught me too well.
Anyway, I like leftovers; the flavors have melded and I don’t mind eating them up. My grandmother used to say that if you throw food away, there will come a time when you won’t have it.
They look amaaaaaazing! My mum grew up in post-war England on food rations, so she’s taught me to use every last thing. Roast lamb on Sunday = leftover roast Monday + sandwiches for a day or two, soup on Tuesday and stew on Wednesday!
PS – when my best friend and I were teenagers we would make “schlong cookies”. I’m glad it’s not just me
I think I’d have this with tomato jam or tomato chutney, rather than just ketchup.
Mmm… I love sausage rolls! Yours look great. My (Asian) mum didn’t saved used stamps, unless they hadn’t been stamped and could be re-used properly! Lol.
xox Sarah
I just love the used stamp story! Enjoy your next lot of travels
I promise I wont ask for egg and tomato sauce at yumcha!
These sausage rolls sound lovely- good metaphor
I hate wasting food. If we don’t eat it, the dog will, if he doesn’t the worm farm will, and if there’s too much for them the compost will- but I have a very hungry husband and teenager so there’s not much waste to start with!
I definitely try my best not to waste (it must be the Chinese-ness!) although this trait of mine seems to irk my Vietnamese boyfriend who thinks that it’s one that I should be ‘embarrassed’ about. That said, I wouldn’t go to extremes and drive around, dropping letters affixed with used stamps on them, in friends’ letterboxes!
Another great childhood story and recipe.
Wow I’m cooking something very similar for my hopemonth event tomorrow night, inspired by Pete Evans (pork & fennel sausage rolls with homemade chutney).
I encourage all you food lovers to check out http://www.hopemonth.com – provide a meal for your friends in may, in return for a small donation from your guests which goes to http://www.HopeStreet.org.au – a small but wonderfully unique charity helping Sydney’s inner-city homeless and marginalised get back on their feet!
xSal
Yum! it is unusual come saturday morning if we have any food left in our fridge, i try to buy exactly what we need.
A nice combination Lorraine
I haven’t had a sausage roll for ages ~ it’s such a ‘high school’ food to me hahaha because I remember having them all the time after school with friends. But i like how you’ve made them more ‘adult’ with the fennel 
As for throwing food out…I try my very best not to throw out good food ~ but it’s really hard sometimes
and I feel so guilty because of it… will try harder though!
I feel so inspired to make some sausage rolls now!! I’ve always wanted to make them..but not sure why I just didnt get to it. Yours look really really yummmy!!
Yes! Heaven. I absolutely love sausage rolls and your version looks divine. You’re making me hungry
I’ve made sausage roll before, but this sounds more down my alley, w/ the cheese etc. nomnomnom Perfect picnic food!
Damn I love pork, especially slow bbq pork or the asian spiced sticky ribs recipes. Devine! Will try this recipe out this weekend.
Aww, egg and tomato sauce isn’t that bad, not when it’s paired with BACON!
Very little goes to waste in our kitchen. Your sausage rolls do look lovely and I’m sure are ever so tasty.
Good, quick week night snack or dinner! Yeah, put that frozen puff pastry into good use! LOL! Being Chinese, I totally know what you are talking about! Here’s another thing…they don’t throw out a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g.!
These look gorgeous – perfect picnic food!
I’ve never seen anything like these before so I’m just happy you shared them, despite the requisite penis-shaping involved. And I really laughed out loud when I read the bit about your mother’s friend hand-delivering the cards – that would be illegal in the US and subject to all kinds of trouble! This post made my day and thanks for sharing it…
You got dumplings in your school lunch????? I am trying not to be envious. Even with the strange filling…
I hate to waste food, but fear that I do waste more than I should. I often have class leftovers that stack up somehow.
Unfortunately I throw out more food than I should, because my enthusiasm for cooking is not matched by the time I have to do it. The sausage rolls sound really good, but I think I will leave the wang metaphor out of it if I make them.
Well. Your metaphor had the opposite effect on me, I might make this tonight! .. I’m excited! (about how it will taste, not necessarily rolling sausages although that is part of the fun)
As to your question.. I throw a lot of my food out . When I go to a restaurant I can almost never finish whats on my plate
Coming from a Chinese family I was taught when I was young to finish everything, so the guilt is always there!
When I was taken to a degustation in Japan the waitress told me I ate like a bird because I couldn’t finish my servings ;_;
In order to make myself feel less guilty I use the reasoning that if I don’t finish my food, it means I’ll get used to eating less and hence I will consume less overall therefore my running total of food consumption will be lower than the average person? o.O
Yup I can definitely vouch for the chinese mentality of waste not want not. my parents taught me to eat up every single grain of rice in my bowl, even though i didn’t like the food on the table, and this is probably the reason why i overeat nowadays :/ but this is also the reason why i don’t chuck my food out – i even reuse my failed macarons in other desserts :]
These look wonderful and the photos are excellent! I can’t stand to throw away food, but sometimes I also can’t stand trying to find a use for 1/2 a pepper that’s gone all squishy around the edges.
I try to use every little last bit of food & I also am trying to not eat the screen right now. Lorraine!! These look amazing. Love your stories
Heidi xo
These must be sooooo gooood!
Fantastic flavours! Love the combination of pork and fennel. Will have to try the recipe for these delicious little morsels. I am learning that it is also the Greek way to waste nothing. I think that is why there are often so many “stuffing” recipes – its amazing how so many leftovers can taste great popped into a tomato or vine leaf!
I love your styling, recipe, and photography here Lorraine!
These look so delicious! I’m going out for a picnic next weekend, so I think I will give it a go. Thanks! MiNa
cheese, puff pastry, and plenty o’ pork…be still, my super-clogged heart.
Waw! Your pork sausage rolls look so gourmet, appetizing & quite so tasty too!
Great pic nic food, I agree!
So I made these on friday and made another batch on sunday with just seeded mustard – to be fair they were half batches to begin with – but they went so so fast and I felt so ‘gourmet’ for taking something simple and turning it into something fancy! Its amazing how easy it is to make them and I’ll be bringing this recipe out for parties! Thanks!
Made these yesterday. I used parmesan instead of blue cheese. They were delicious!
I am SUCH a sausage roll girl. I do love a good pie but would def choose a sausage roll over one. These babies look right up my alley
This is something I’m totally going to do, now that I have conquered my fear of pastry.
I may, however, refer to them as Wang Rolls.
I’m so mature it’s scary.
Post a Comment