Moroccan Sausage Rolls have become an all time favorite in my household.  My first encounter with these moist, crumbly and crunchy lamb sausage rolls was at Bourke Street Bakery in Sydney, Austrialia.  Literally, one bite into these delectable goodies and I was hooked, I know, I know it does seem rather cliche but really they were sooooo damn good!

The harissa, a moroccan spice blend, in this recipe gives the sausage roll a warm bite and the added raisins, a gentle sweetness.  I cheated a bit in this recipe, yes I did, and bought a jar of harissa instead of making it from scratch as stipulated in the original recipe… and they taste just as good. I would sincerely suggest you try this recipe, you’re going to thank me you did cause these crunchy puffs of savory goodness are so worth it!

My love for ‘meat pies’ ignited when I was a wee little one. My mum made delicious chicken pies that I loved dunking into ketchup, then and now too. Another favorite, was the ever popular ‘steak pie‘ a local favorite in Zimbabwe.  Every cafe claimed to have the best steak pie. My favorite was a little cafe near my home in Harare – they made a flaky, buttery pastry that housed the juiciest chunks of beef, dotted with fat, in a peppery sauce.  Alas, the bakery is no more but I’m left with fond memories of peering through the glass counter and salivating at the glory that laid before me.

Adapted from Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook by Paul Allam

Ingredients

(makes 24 mini sized rolls)

1 lb. ground lamb

2 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons couscous

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup harissa*

¼ cup yellow raisins

1 sheet of puff pastry (approx. 12” x 18” each), thawed

1/4 cup milk or heavy cream

Toss most of the ingredients except the puff pastry into a bowl and mix really well to combine the ingredients.  I use my hands, as they work the best to really bind the ingredients.  It feels good, so don’t get carried away and overmix the lamb.

Roll out the pastry onto a floured surface.

Divide each sheet into thirds across the length.

Make a tube with 1/3 of the lamb mixture and place it in the middle of one of the pastry rectangles.  This can be done in sections, it’s not necessary to roll the whole tube at once.

With a pastry brush, moisten the bottom edge of the pastry rectangle, just under the tube of lamb.

Carefully fold over the pastry over the top of the tube of lamb and then fold over once more to make a sausage roll. The two open ends of the pastry sheets should overlap.

Roll the tube over so that the seam of the pastry is at the bottom.

Poke holes at regular intervals, with a fork, along the top edge of the roll.

Repeat with the rest of the pastry sheets.

Cut into desired lengths. I like to cut them into 4-inch rolls.

Brush the tops with milk or cream.**

Bake at 400°F for 25 – 30 mins or until the tops begin to brown.

Serve warm with a fresh garden salad.

 

Tips

• *Harissa can be bought at any good gourmet food store or amazon.com. I’ve tried many varieties of harissa paste and have settle with the brand “Les Moulins Mahjoub”. It’s a lot thicker and has a lot more flavor to it.
• **At this point you can line a tray with parchment paper and freeze over night before popping them into a zip top bag.  Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 40 mins, from their frozen state.
• Although I have mentioned in the above recipe to add the raisins, you can choose to opt out of them, as I have done countless times, as my husband and kids prefer the sausage rolls without them.
• As fall is approaching this is a good comfort food to add to your repertoire.
• They taste pretty darn good cold too, making it perfect for a packed lunch.  My son loves finding them in his lunchbox alongside some carrots or cucumbers, as well as the ketchup of course!