Sausage and Bramley apple plait with roasted root vegetable crush and Bramley apple compote

Ingredients

Sausage and Bramley apple plait

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 160g onion, finely chopped
• 1.3kg sausage meat
• 10g sage, finely chopped
• 450g fresh breadcrumbs (thick white bread)
• 350g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
• 1.36kg ready-made puff pastry, defrosted
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 free range eggs, beaten

Roasted root vegetable crush

• 4tbsp olive oil
• 1 swede
• 4 parsnips
• 2 large carrots
• 1 butternut squash
• 3 red onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 125g salted butter
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bramley apple compote

• 1kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored and diced into small chunks
• 100g caster sugar
• 40ml apple juice
• Celery micro cress was used as a garnish for the roasted root vegetable crush

Method

Sausage and Bramley apple plait

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until softened but not coloured.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the onion, sausage meat, sage, half of the fresh breadcrumbs and seasoning.
4. Place half of the sausage mix onto a piece of cling film measuring 30cm x 25cm. Arrange the apple wedges down the middle of the length of the sausage meat before placing more sausage meat over the top of the apple. Mould the sausage meat around so that it forms a good cylindrical shape; to help seal the apple in the centre, wrap tightly with the cling film. Repeat and refrigerate until required.
5. Divide the pastry into two equal pieces and roll out rectangles around 30cm x 25cm. Place a bed of the remaining fresh breadcrumbs down the centre of the rectangle (this will help protect the bottom of the pastry from becoming too moist from the cooking juices).
6. Unwrap the sausage cylinders and place on the bed of breadcrumbs.
7. With a sharp knife cut slits 3cm, about 1cm away from the sausage mixture to the edge of the pastry slanting away from you. Brush with beaten egg.
8. Starting at the end nearest to you, fold the pastry alternately over each other to give a ‘plait’ effect. Brush the top with beaten egg.
9. Transfer to a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour; reduce the temperature to 150°C after 30 minutes.

Roasted root veg crush

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Peel and roughly dice the vegetables.
3. Place the vegetables into a large baking tray and mix with the olive oil, garlic cloves and seasoning.
4. Place the tray into the preheated oven and cook for 40 minutes.
5. When cooked, break down the roasted vegetables with a masher or the back of a fork, add the butter and more seasoning, if required, and mix well before serving.

Bramley apple compote

1. Place two thirds of the diced apple into a heavy based pan with the sugar and apple juice, place over a moderate heat and gently bring to a simmer until the apple has broken down.
2. Add the remaining apple chunks and cook for further five minutes before taking off the heat and allowing to cool.