‘Nduja-spiced butter is the secret ingredient in the deliciously flakey puff pastry which wraps this pig-themed treat. Filled with delicious herby sausage meat and accompanied by a sweet and tangy onion chutney, the whole wreath is decorated to look like cute little piggies. You’ll be in hog heaven!
Makes:
1 large wreath and a chutney
Difficulty:
Challenging
Hands-On Time:
3 hours
Baking Time:
40 mins
- Ingredients
- Method
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Method
Step 1
To make the ‘nduja butter block, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and ’nduja together until combined. Add the flour and lemon zest and beat. Scoop the butter out onto a piece of parchment paper, and spread it into a 15x15cm block. Wrap the block in the parchment paper and chill in the fridge while you make the dough.
Step 2
To make the dough, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt and cold cubed butter until there are no visible lumps of butter and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Step 3
In a jug, add the lemon juice to the water, then add this liquid to the breadcrumbs, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing on low speed until a dough just forms. You may not need all the liquid.
Step 4
Place the dough on your work surface and quickly pat into a rectangle. Wrap in parchment, cling film or a sandwich bag, and place onto a tray, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 5
Remove the dough and the ‘nduja butter block from the fridge. Place the rectangle of dough onto a floured surface and roll it to approx 15cm tall x 30cm wide.
Step 6
Unwrap the ‘nduja butter block and place it on top of the dough, in the centre, so that there is dough on either side of the butter. Fold in either side of the dough over the butter, so that it meets in the middle, and pinch the dough together to seal.
Step 7
Roll the dough out to a rectangle, approximately 50cm long x 20cm wide, to lock in the butter.
Step 8
Find the middle point of the long edge and fold the bottom of the dough up, and the top down, so that they meet in the middle. Brush off any excess flour using a pastry brush, then fold the top half down again, this time on top of the bottom half, creating a seam at the bottom.
Step 9
Turn the dough 90 degrees (a quarter turn) clockwise so that the seam is on the left-hand side, and lightly roll with your rolling pin, just to even out the surface. Make an impression with your pastry brush in the top right corner (this will help you to remember which way around the dough should be when you come to roll it again.) Re-wrap the dough, and chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or the freezer for 20 minutes.
Step 10
Once the dough is chilled and relaxed, transfer it onto a floured surface, ensuring the side with the seam is on your left and the indent that you made is at the top right corner.
Step 11
Repeat steps 8-10 of rolling the dough to 50cm long x 20cm wide, and folding to meet in the middle, then folding the top half over the bottom, and turning 90 degrees clockwise. Re-wrap the dough, and chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or the freezer for 20 minutes.
Step 12
Repeat the rolling and folding from steps 8-10 one final time, and then re-wrap the dough and place in the fridge to chill while you make the chutney and filling.
Step 13
To make the chutney, finely slice the onions into half-moons and add to a large saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook over a low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and turn translucent, about 10 minutes.
Step 14
Remove 75g of the cooked onions to a small bowl and set these aside to use in the sausage filling.
Step 15
To the remaining cooked onions in the pan, add the salt, sugar, chili flakes, apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar, and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Continue you to simmer until the onions have cooked down and the mixture has thickened and become glossy. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Step 16
To make the sausage filling, grate the apple and then squeeze between your hands to remove some of the moisture. Add the apple to a large bowl along with the pork mince and breadcrumbs.
Step 17
Roughly chop the 75g of cooked onions that you set aside, and 1tbsp chopped fresh sage then add this to the bowl with the apple, pork mince and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper and a grating of fresh nutmeg, then mix together with your hands until combined.
Step 18
On top of a piece of parchment paper, form the sausage meat into a 45cm log, then wrap it in the paper and chill in the fridge until firm.
Step 19
Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan/430°F/Gas 7.
Step 20
To assemble, remove the pastry from the freezer and roll on a floured work surface to a rectangle approximately 50cm long x 25cm wide, then trim the edges so that you have a neat rectangle approximately 45cm long x 20cm wide. Squash the trimmings together, wrap them in cling film and place in the freezer to chill, as you will need them for the decorations.
Step 21
Place the sausage meat in the centre of the pastry and then brush the long edge closest to you with the egg wash. Fold the non-egg washed side over the meat, and then fold the egg washed pastry over the top of this to seal together. Roll it over so that the join is on the bottom, and you have one long sausage roll.
Step 22
Transfer to a lined baking sheet and brush the outside with a beaten egg, then chill in the freezer while you make the pig decorations.
Step 23
Take the chilled pastry trimmings and roll out on a floured surface. Using a 1.5cm round cutter, cut out 9 small circles and, with the pointed end of a chopstick, poke two holes in each to make pig snouts. To make the ears, cut a 1cm wide strip of pastry, and cut along it at alternating angles, to make 18 triangles. Lastly, cut 9 small, thin strips of pastry, for the tails.
Step 24
Remove the sausage roll from the freezer. Cut two thirds of the way though the sausage roll every 5cm along its length, to make 9 sections. Bring the ends together to form a ring, with the cut portions facing the outside. Egg wash the inside of the ring where the two ends join, and lightly squeeze the pastry to seal.
Step 25
Stick a snout, a pair of ears, and a curled tail onto each of the portions, finishing with peppercorns for eyes, and give a final brush of egg wash to the details.
Step 26
Bake 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C/180°C fan/390°F/Gas 6 and bake for a further 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown, and the sausage is cooked through.
Step 27
Remove from the oven and allow to cool, before transferring to a serving plate with the onion chutney.
