Pork, pecorino and oregano sausage rolls — a Ravinder Bhogal recipe

And so it begins. The hurtle into December promises a month of excess — too much to eat and drink, too much of a good time — but it’s also just the tonic for getting us through the dark days of winter.

Unless you’re Ina Garten, entertaining can be stressful. But, in the spirit of the season, it’s likely you’ll have to embrace host duties over the coming weeks. Even as someone who loves to cook, I am hesitant about canapés — fiddly nightmares that’ll have you faffing with toothpicks and gibbering like an overworked elf. Instead, arm yourself with some crowd-pleasing nibbles. And by arm, I mean buy. If they are abundant and served with some well-thought-out drinks, no one will care that they aren’t home-made.

Fill up bowls with olives as large as marbles, or Marcona almonds roasted simply with smoked salt and paprika. Lay out cured meats or pâtés with thick slices of good bread. Drizzle silky hummus with your best olive oil, or spritz a platter of cooked prawns with lemon juice ready to be dipped in a luscious mayonnaise lovingly made by the deli down the road.

If you do decide to turn on the oven, then make sausage rolls, the reliable stalwarts of the party circuit. Thanks to sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry, they are no more complicated to knock together than a sandwich. Unlike stodgy and bland shop-bought ones, these are luxurious enough to feel like special-occasion food. The filling borrows from the sensory pleasures of cacio e pepe and is assertive with black pepper, herbs and pecorino.

Conveniently, they can be made ahead of time and frozen, and then defrosted and warmed in the oven till piping hot to keep the masses with the munchies merry!

Pork, pecorino and oregano sausage rolls

Makes about 16-20 small sausage rolls

1. Preheat oven to 220C. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sweat the onion until pale and translucent, then add the garlic and fry till fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2. Sprinkle the work surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the pastry out until it forms a thinner, rectangular sheet, about 30cm x 40cm. Cut the pastry in half lengthways and refrigerate.

3. In a large bowl, combine the onion and garlic with the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Divide the filling into two equal portions and, working with one pastry sheet at a time, form a portion of filling into an even cylinder down the middle of the pastry. Brush beaten egg down one side of the pastry.

4. Fold the edge that doesn’t have egg on it over the filling and press the pastry edges together. Seal and roll over so the seam is underneath. Brush each log with beaten egg and scatter with fennel seeds.

5. Pop in the freezer for 20 minutes and then, using a sharp knife, cut each log into 4cm pieces. Bake for 20-24 minutes seam-side down on an oven tray lined with baking paper until crisp and golden.

6. If you are making them ahead of time, allow to cool completely, then freeze. To serve, defrost and heat up gently in a medium oven until piping hot.

Ravinder Bhogal is chef-patron of Jikoni. Follow Ravinder on Instagram @cookinboots and Twitter @cookinboots

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