Cranberry and sage sausage rolls with sweet vinegared coleslaw

Serves Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

Put the caster sugar and cranberries in a small pan over a low heat and cook for about 5 minutes until the berries burst. When the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is sizzling on the base of the pan, add a tablespoon of water and cook carefully for about 3 minutes until quite dry. Place in a bowl and leave to cool completely.

Remove the skin from the sausages and break the meat up into a bowl. Mix in the chopped sage and parsley.

Lay the ready-rolled pastry on a lightly floured board. Roll it a little more to make it smooth (but keep it in a rectangular shape). With the longer side of the pastry running horizontally, cut the pastry downwards into 3 even-sized rectangles. Brush one of the long edges on each piece with a little of the egg yolk mixture. Lay a line of sausage meat along the centre of each rectangle and fold the pastry over to encase the meat, then use the tines of a fork to seal the edge completely. Trim if uneven.

Score each into 6 sections without cutting all the way through, then, using scissors, snip the top of each section of pastry twice. Brush with more egg yolk mixture and chill until ready to cook. Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F/Gas 7. Bake the sausage rolls for about 25 minutes until golden and puffed. Transfer after 5 minutes to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Slice through the score marks into pieces. Eat warm or chill to eat later. To reheat, place in an oven preheated to 200°C/400°F/ Gas 6 for 10 minutes.

To make the sweet vinegared coleslaw, put the cabbage in a serving bowl. Cut the slices of apple into small fan-shaped pieces and add to cabbage. Add the celery and red onion. Sprinkle over a little salt. Mix the vinegar and caster sugar together in a small bowl and leave until the sugar has dissolved, then pour it over the cabbage mixture and toss well. The coleslaw can be made a few hours in advance to allow the flavours to meld.