Blogger Sophie Hansen: Sausage rolls, smokos, and why food is the heart of country life

Generosity and hospitality are common themes in country cooking.

And maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up in this environment, but I’m always amazed by the speed with which food is produced as soon as someone looks hungry in a farm kitchen.

A sandwich, piece of cake or biscuits appear from nowhere and it seems like the kettle is always on.

I love this easy generosity. I love that because shops are generally a fair drive away, kitchens are well stocked and ready to whip up any manner of sustenance. And I love the tradition of smoko.

Smoko is a substantial snack and rest break in the middle of a morning or afternoon’s work. Usually there’s something hot to eat and a big pot of tea to share.

I’ve a friend who lives on her family farm west of Broken Hill and every day they make enormous trays of muffins, sausage rolls and quiches for 9am smoko – this is to feed the shearing crews who have been going since 5am so, yes, they are starving by then.

Here, on our farm, somewhat further east, smoko is more of an early lunch. Or bribery to keep everyone working just a little longer. And these sausage rolls always do the trick.

These sausage rolls would, of course, be excellent for lunch, smoko break or dinner. If the former or latter, I’d just serve them with a nice big salad full of peppery greens and a spicy tomato chutney.

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Make up a double batch and freeze them (uncooked) in long logs ready to bake from frozen and you too will be ready to feed the hungry hoards in minutes.

Lesson two in tree-changing is complete.

Apple, fennel and pork sausage rolls

Photo: Sophie Hansen

Prep time 20 mins

Cook time 35 mins

Serves 4-6

20g butter

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 Granny Smith apples, cut into small pieces

1 red onion, peeled and diced

500g pork mince

2 tbsp thyme leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

3 sheets butter puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp sea salt

Photo: Sophie Hansen

1. Place the butter in a heavy-based frying pan on medium-high heat. Once melted, add three-quarters of the fennel seeds and the apple pieces, then cook for a few minutes, or until softened. Reduce heat to low, add the red onion and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the pork, thyme, salt and pepper and cooled apple/onion mixture. Take a third of this and place it on one of the thawed puff-pastry sheets, making a sausage shape along the bottom third of the sheet. Roll as tightly as you can to create one long sausage. Repeat with remaining pastry and pork mixture.

3. If freezing the rolls at this point, wrap in plastic and pop in the freezer. Otherwise, onwards! Break the egg into a small bowl and whisk yolks and white together. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers if you don’t have one), brush the egg over each sausage roll then sprinkle with the sesame seeds, sea salt and remaining fennel seeds. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with spicy tomato chutney on the side.