Boxing Day Treats

Today is Boxing Day in the United Kingdom and it's a way to continue on with the Christmas festivities. How better to celebrate with one of England's best recipes, the sausage roll.It's a fun snack, perfect for when friends pile over with gifts and appetites. It's also a great way to repurpose leftover holiday meats too.

David Tanis wrote about them in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.His A City Kitchen is dedicated to  sausage rolls, as British, as well, the queen.(and I'm sure that Elizabeth likes them as much as this one writing this  does). They are easy to make, using only puff pastry and sausage meat. Pastry can be homemade or bought  and even pie dough can be used. The dough is first rolled out into an oblong shape and then filled with the sausage mix. The dough is then wrapped around it and it's cut into six  pieces(it pays to make four or five logs because the rolls will go fst) Brush each sausage roll with an egg wash (just a beaten egg ) to give it a shiny finish.Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets for twenty to twenty five minutes. You can serve them hot or preferably partially cooled. Doing this allows the meat's juices to sink into the crust. Serve with a good ale or even champagne,

The filling can be varied. Mr. Tanis suggests a traditional pork one, taken from the pork shoulder. It is spiced with the usual spices of coriander,nutmeg, mace and sage along with thyme, If this is too savory, you can cut down on the stronger spices and just use sage. If you want to make a variation, a Cornish pasty, use chuck that has been chopped finely. Nix the spices, using only salt and pepper for seasoning. another idea is using turkey or chicken sausage, The taste won't be so intense but it is still good. You can also fill the dough with chicken or leftover turkey too, along with potatoes and peas.Again nix the spices .The poultry taste can stand on its own.Of course you can also make vegan rolls, using crumbled soy bits that mimic chopped beef. Another is filling the dough with onions and potatoes along with rutabagas or turnips for a variation on the Cornish vegetable pasty.

Nothing beats a good , fresh made sausage roll on Boxing Day, the day that downstairs staff had off. Their food may have been simple but the roll is fit for a king or queen.This golden treat is rich in taste , a perfect way of crowning the Christmas holiday.,