Pork and fennel sausage rolls

IN SUPPORT of ovarian cancer awareness month, former Masterchef contestant Dani Venn has come up with some tasty treats for “Afternoon Teal”.

This year more than 1200 Australian women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and sadly around 800 will die from the disease. However, if diagnosed in the early stages the majority of women survive, which is why it is so important for women to know the symptoms. (For more information, visit Ovarian Cancer Australia)

With an average of 50 million cups of tea and coffee consumed nationwide every day, Australia is urging Australians to make their cuppa count by hosting an Afternoon Teal to raise vital funds for ovarian cancer research and support programs for women with ovarian cancer and their families. 

So why not use Danni’s recipes at your own Afternoon Teal?

Pork and fennel sausage rolls

• 1 tbsp oil
• 3 large cloves of garlic, diced finely
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 1 small bulb fennel, sliced thinly and diced
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 apples, any variety, grated
• 4 sheets store bought frozen puff pastry, brought to room temperature
• 1 egg, lightly beaten to make egg wash
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, to garnish
• 500g pork mince

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Prepare baking tray by gently spraying with canola spray oil then lining with baking paper.

Using a medium sized saucepan, heat oil to medium heat then gently fry onion for 1 minute, then add garlic and continue frying for 1 minute. Then add fennel, carrot and gently cook until mixture is softened for about 5 minutes. Season with salt then allow mixture to cool slightly.

Place pork mince in a large mixing bowl, add oregano, thyme, white pepper and salt then mix by squishing mince with your hands for a few minutes.

Squeeze out any excess liquid from grated apple then stir through mix, then add onion mix and stir through. To test if you are happy with seasoning and flavours, fry off a small amount of pork mince and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Place one sheet of puff pastry on clean, flat surface. Using your hands place about 2 cups of mixture on pastry and form a thick sausage shape vertically across the bottom edge of the puff pastry, leaving a 3cm gap from the very edge. Curl the edge slightly over the mince, then flip the pastry over so that the mince is fully encased in pastry. Cut off the remainder of the puff pastry and secure the edge by brushing with egg wash.

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush top of the pastry with egg wash then lightly sprinkle with fennel seeds.

Place sausage rolls on prepared baking tray then bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Serve immediately.