Thai Chicken Sausage Rolls

In my humble opinion everyone needs a good sausage roll recipe in their repertoire! These little rolls of pastry filled with some form of flavoured protein are irresistible to Aussies of all ages. I can bring a smile to the face of everyone I know, from my dad to my six year old niece with one simple plate of these morsels. So, I thought I would share one with you all. Of course, being the Combi-Steam Queen, my Combi Steam oven helps me make these little bites even better than they ever were before. Using the steam while you are cooking your pastries helps to give you lovely golden brown layers of pastry and nice moist filling. If you are gluten-free keep reading for my tip on how to still get a great little option using this recipe!

If you have a V-ZUG or Wolf Combi Steam oven you can also use the amazing BakeOmatic option to cook these (see the notes at the bottom of the recipe). It could not be easier....it's literally just the touch of a few buttons and before you know it out pop some glossy, crispy, golden and crunchy little treats.

The secret to this pastry perfection is in the use of the steam and the convection (Hot Air) heat. With the Fresh Aperitif Nibbles option in BakeOMatic the steam will happen first to coat and moisten your pastry and then the Hot Air will kick in to make them golden, crisp and puffed to perfection. Of course, as with all the BakeOMatic options, it all happens completely automatically. There is no need for you to set a temp, a cooking time or a cooking function - it's just BakeOMatic and then the type of food you are cooking - in this case, Fresh Aperitif Nibbles.

If you don’t have BakeOmatic you can replicate this result by using your Combination Steam (or Hot Air with Steaming) function and not doing a pre-heat. Putting the pastries into the cool oven allows the steam to work on the pastry before the oven gets hot which will benefit the finished result.

These ones are slightly (and yes I mean VERY slightly) gourmet with their Thai inspired flavours but you could add anything you like. Try other meats like pork or beef or even good quality sausage mince and add your own flavours, herbs, spices and sauces. You can even take the skin off actual sausages and use that, as it's often already seasoned and flavoured.

A great little tip too, is to prepare a batch of these (up to end of Step 4) and stick them in the freezer uncooked, in their full length size, wrapped tightly in some cling film. Then when you need them just grab them out and pop them into the Combi-Steam (still wrapped) and select the Steam function at 40 degrees for about 10 mins. This will "just" thaw them and you can slice them up with a sharp knife and cook them according to the recipe. Perfect for after school snacks, unexpected drop ins or even a last minute "oh my god I have nothing for dinner moment!" Whip up a salad or some mash & peas and you have a meal!!

Ready, set, roll!

Thai Chicken Sausage Rolls

Ingredients:
500g chicken breast mince
1 egg
¼ - ½ cup store-bought breadcrumbs
2 tbs sweet chilli sauce
2 tbs sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs ginger paste (or ½ tbs fresh ginger finely grated)
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
zest of 1 lime
4-5 sheets puff pastry (just thawed)

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients, except the pastry, in a large mixing bowl and mix well until it's a little bit sticky.* (I use my KitchenAid Standmixer with the white beater attachment to do this for me on medium speed)*

2. Lay one sheet of pastry onto a cool bench top and place a line, about the width of a thick sausage along the bottom edge, filling it evenly from end to end. Use your hands to shape it evenly.

3. Lift the bottom edge of the pastry and roll it over the filling to enclose and create an overlap of around 1.5cm. Presss down gently and evenly along it to seal. Slice it along the edge with a sharp knife.

4. Repeat with remaining mixture.

5. Slice into even, bite sized pieces. Lay on a tray (or two) lined with baking paper.*

6. Place trays into the oven (position 1 and 3 or just 3 work well). Select Combination Steam (Hot Air with Steaming) and set the temperature to 220°C. For variable Steam select 20-30%.

7. Cook for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

8. Remove the trays from the oven. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on the trays before serving with a dipping sauce if desired.

Tips:

*If this mixture seems too "wet" add a little more breadcrumbs until you get the right consistency. It should hold it's shape and stick together when you hold it.

*If the sausage rolls are too warm they may be difficult to slice as they will "squash" down. Just pop them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes or until they are firm, then remove and slice.I

*If you are gluten free, use the recipe for the filling of these (substituting the breadcrumbs for some crushed up gluten free crackers/dry biscuits) and roll them into meatballs about the size of a goflball. Preheat the Combi-Steam on Hot Air+Steaming (Combination Steam) to 230°C, pop the meatballs on the black enamel tray lined with baking paper and cook in the middle of the oven for 12-15 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce or serve on top of some stir fried veggies or a rice noodle dish! Yum!

V-ZUG/Wolf Note:
If you have a V-ZUG or Wolf Combi Steam you will have an option for BakeOmatic which will automatically set the cooking time, temperature and steam levels. For foods like sausage rolls and other homemade uncooked nibbles you can use the Fresh Aperitif Nibbles option in BakeOmatic. Simply place the food into the Combi-Steam. Select the function and press start. Wait for the beep when they are done, remove and enjoy. It’s amazing!

I hope you enjoy these!

Happy Combi-Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x