Giant sausage roll

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oil in a pan then fry the onion for 5-6 mins until soft. Add the sage and fennel seeds, with a splash more oil if needed. Fry for 45 seconds, then empty into a bowl to cool completely.

• step 2

  Toast the pistachios in a dry frying pan for 2 mins. Remove from the pan to cool completely. Crush half the pistachios to a coarse powder and roughly chop the other half into small chunky pieces.

• step 3

  Put the onion, sausagemeat, breadcrumbs, garlic, pistachio chunks, nutmeg, pepper and 1½ teaspoons of fine salt in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine, then roll into a 25cm x 8cm log.

• step 4

  Make a glaze by whisking together the redcurrant and tamarind until smooth.

• step 5

  Roll the pastry into a 35cm x 25cm rectangle. Brush a third of the glaze onto the middle of the pastry – the same size as the sausage log. Sprinkle half the pistachio powder over the glaze.

• step 6

  Put the sausage log on top, then brush the rest of the glaze over the top and sides of the meat. Use a knife to cut the pastry at each corner. Flip the pastry up at each end of the sausage, concealing the ends. Use a knife to cut diagonal lines down the length of the pastry on each side at 4cm intervals. Starting from one side, pull up and across alternately into a plait design.

• step 7

  Brush all over with the eggs yolks then sprinkle over the nigella seeds and the last of the crushed pistachios, pressing them into the pastry. Chill for 15 mins so the butter firms up.

• step 8

  Heat the oven to 195C/175C fan/gas 5½. Bake for 50-55 mins until golden on top and cooked through – check after 30 mins, covering with foil if it is browning too quickly on top. Remove from the oven onto a wire rack and rest for 10 mins before serving. Serve with a dipping sauce of ketchup spiked with a spoon of tamarind paste.