Sausage Plait.

1lb pack sausage meat or sausages with skins removed - plain pork.
tbpsn oil
1 onion diced finely
1-2 cloves garlic crushed
1 green chilli finely diced (optional)
1tsp dried thyme
handful sage, chopped finely
juice of half lemon
salt & pepper
1 pack ready made puff pastry
1 beaten egg.

pre-heat oven to 200 (gas 6??)gently fry the onion & garlic (& chilli if using it) in the oil until soft but not coloured, set aside to cool.

when cooled mix onion/garlic into the sausage meat with your hands, then add the lemon juice, herbs& seasoning. its really really sticky!!!

roll out the pastry so that its about the size of a swiss roll tray. place the sausage mix lengthways down the middle third of the pastry leaving the same size gap all the way round.

make slits 1 inch apart all down each side making sure they are level with each other & slanting slightly towards you , stopping at least an inch from the meat. wash the edges with some of the beaten egg.

Fold over the ends onto the meat & trim of the corners. then bring up alternating flaps from each side making a plait effect. go slowly!! wash with rest of the beaten egg & cook in oven for 25-30 mins til golden.

serve in slices with salad & new pots in summer, mash & veg in winter. great cold the next day too!

I cook this on an oven tray with holes or slits in over a roasting dish as it can let out some fat from the meat & the pastry & that way it drains off & the pastry goes nice & crispy