Stuffed pigs in blankets

Name: Stuffed pigs in blankets
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 30g unsalted butter; 2 banana shallots, finely chopped; 75g mixed nuts, finely chopped; 2 sprigs each fresh sage and thyme, leaves finely chopped; 400g British free-range sausagemeat; 16 strips smoked pancetta (or smoked streaky bacon, thinned out with the flat of a knife blade); Vegetable oil for greasing; 2 tbsp maple syrup

Easy
December 2016

Easy
December 2016

Test kitchen approved

Serves 8
Hands-on time 45 min, oven time 30 min

For these extra-special pigs in blankets, wafer-thin pancetta is wrapped around homemade sausage stuffing balls. This easy side dish is guaranteed to please on Christmas Day.

For classic pigs in blankets, try these chipolatas and herb sprigs wrapped in streaky bacon.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 216kcals
Fat: 16.4g (6.9g saturated)
Protein: 6.4g
Carbohydrates: 3.8g (2.9g sugars)
Fibre: 0.2g
Salt: 0.9g salt

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 216kcals
Fat: 16.4g (6.9g saturated)
Protein: 6.4g
Carbohydrates: 3.8g (2.9g sugars)
Fibre: 0.2g
Salt: 0.9g salt

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Ingredients

30g unsalted butter
2 banana shallots, finely chopped
75g mixed nuts, finely chopped
2 sprigs each fresh sage and thyme, leaves finely chopped
400g British free-range sausagemeat
16 strips smoked pancetta (or smoked streaky bacon, thinned out with the flat of a knife blade)
Vegetable oil for greasing
2 tbsp maple syrup

Method

Heat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6. Heat the butter in a small frying pan, then add the shallots. Stir-fry for 8-10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the nuts and cook for briefly until pale golden. Remove the mixture to a plate to cool.
Combine the shallots and nuts with the herbs and sausagemeat in a mixing bowl. Season. Divide the mixture into 16 equal balls, then shape each into a fat square and set aside. Cut a pancetta (or thinned bacon) strip in half, then lay in a cross on your work surface. Put a sausagemeat square in the centre and fold the pancetta/bacon over to enclose. Repeat with the rest.
Put the assembled pigs in blankets in a lightly oiled baking tray, seam-side down. Roast for 30 minutes, brushing lightly with the maple syrup halfway through, until the pancetta is crisp and the stuffing is cooked. Serve hot.