These sausage tarts are the savoury sisters of our Raspberry, Rhubarb and Custard Brioches, and the method of forming and filling them is exactly the same. Making your own sausage mix takes no time, but it’s the best way to ensure you have it just the way you like it, and avoids the nasties that lurk in some shop-bought sausages.
Ingredients
For the homemade sausage meat
- 300 g minced pork
- 1 large slice of stale sourdough bread, crusts removed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- a very good grinding of black pepper
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 5 sprigs of thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
- 5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
For the Tarts
- ½ quantity brioche dough, after its second rise in the fridge
- egg wash
- 40 g butter, melted
- flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Crème Fraiche Filling
- 180 ml crème fraîche
- 75 g wholegrain mustard
- 60 g Parmesan, finely grated
- ½ small bunch of chives, finely snipped
How to Make It
- Make the sausagemeat first. Break the bread into fine crumbs by hand or in a food processor. In a large mixing bowl, add the breadcrumbs to the minced pork along with all the other ingredients and mix well by hand. Chill, covered, for at least an hour or overnight.
- Take the brioche dough out of the fridge, and, on a lightly floured surface, shape it into 9 buns. Place these on a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper, leaving 5 cm gaps. Put the baking sheet inside a large plastic bag, well-inflated with air so that the bag doesn’t come into contact with the dough, and leave on the worktop to rise for 1½–2 hours until doubled in size. While the buns are rising, make the crème fraîche filling by stirring together all the ingredients. Chill for at least an hour.
- When the brioche are risen, take a pastry brush and gently lacquer the buns all over with egg wash. Use your fingers to press down down into the centre of each bun to create a central well, leaving a generous raised border all around the edge.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Drop a generous tablespoon of crème fraîche mixture into the centre of each brioche, then divide the pork mixture into 9 parts. Shape and flatten each patty so that it sits comfortably in the centre of the brioche, on top of the crème fraîche. Drizzle each bun with a little melted butter and season. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the brioches are golden and the sausage cooked through.
- Serve warm from the oven with a green salad dressed with olive oil, and wedges of hard-boiled eggs. To make in advance
- Both the sausagemeat and crème fraîche filling can be made a day in advance. You can also form the brioche buns, place them on their baking sheet inside a well-inflated plastic bag, and put the whole thing in the fridge overnight. The next day, take it out of the fridge, leave to come to room temperature for an hour, then let rise and bake as above.