Who doesn’t love a sausage roll especially when every bite just melts in your mouth? Here is a recipe for Cheese, Thyme & Caramelised Onion Sausage rolls made with the beautiful Comté.

Now imagine sausage rolls filled with the finest cheese and encased in a buttery short crust pastry. These sausage rolls are so delicious and perfect for picnics and outdoor eatings. They make a great addition to grazing boards too.

The cheese I went for had to be Comté. Made from unpasteurised milk and handcrafted 365 days a year in France, each wheel has its own unique flavour. Comté has subtle fruity and savoury tones which work perfectly for many dishes including the sausage rolls I made. I went with the young version which is milder.

Another great aspect of Comté is, it is it can only be made from the Franche-Comte region which means it is integrated in the community life.

Comté, Thyme & Caramelised Onions Sausage Rolls

These sausage rolls have a bit of sweetness from the caramelised onion, slight heat from the mustard and flavour from the thyme. The Comté adds a slight fruitiness to the sausage rolls and binds the sausage meat together. The end result is scrumptious buttery flavoursome sausage rolls. 

Ingredients for 16 mini sausage rolls

• 330g shortcrust pastry (recipe below) 
• 250g sausage meat (I used the meat from sausages that had a high pork content). Lamb mince would work well too.
• 100g grated Comté cheese 
• 2 heaped tablespoons of caramelised onions (recipe below)
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme 
• 1 tbsp French or English mustard
• 1 beaten egg for brushing
• poppy seeds 

Method

1. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured. About 24cm x 36cm – you want it fairly thin
2. Spread the caramelised onions on both halves on one side. 
3. Divide the sausage mixture in half
4. Shape the sausage mixture into rolls, the length of the dough (36cm)
5. Place the roll of sausage meat on top of the caramelised onions
6. Brush the top of the sausage mixture and the long edges of the pastry (the part that does not have filling) with the egg
7. Carefully fold over the pastry so it covers the meat and it wraps all the meat and onions. Place the sealed side at the bottom.
8. Cut each rolled pastry into 8 sausage rolls
9. Put them in the fridge for about 15 minutes to chill
10. Make little cuts on the top (scissors work great)
11. Brush the rolls with egg. Ensure to brush all the exposed pastry
12. Sprinkle on poppy seeds
13. Bake in preheated oven (200 degrees) for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 180 degrees and bake for a further 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown

---

Shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 50g lard (if you don’t have lard, use butter)
• 50g salted butter
• about 35ml cold water

Method:

1. Sift the flour and salt together
2. Rub the fat into the flour using your fingertips. After about 3 minutes the mixture should be like breadcrumbs
3. Add in the water and stir with a round knife so the dough begins to stick together in lumps
4. Then quickly bring it together using your hand to form a smooth firm dough. You want it to be quick so the butter doesn’t start melting
5. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes

---

Caramelised onion

• 1 large sliced red onion
• Pinch of salt
• Oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic glaze

Heat a pan with about a tablespoon of oil. Add in the onions and salt, stir, then cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes. Check and stir occasionally. The onions should soften but not burn.
Add in 1 tbsp brown sugar & 1 tbsp balsamic glaze/vinegar, mix and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the sugar is all dissolved.

---

You can read all about the rich culture and story behind Comté Cheese here. Let me know once you make these delicious Cheese Thyme & Caramelised Onion Sausage rolls.

Neha

Disclaimer [AD]: This was an invite/gift. All views, opinions and photos are my own unless otherwise stated.