“It’s all about getting as much extra flavour as possible into the sausage meat with cheddar, caramelised onion chutney and fresh thyme,” says Tom Kerridge, who suggests a dollop of brown sauce on the side.

Cheddar sausage rolls

Ingredients:(Makes 6)

500g pork sausages, outer skins removed2tsp thyme leaves3tbsp caramelised onion chutney130g cheddar, grated320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of saltSalt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Put the sausage meat into a bowl with the thyme, chutney and 100 grams of the grated cheese. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and mix well.

2. Unroll the puff pastry and lay it out flat on your work surface. Cut it in half, to give two 23×18 centimetre rectangles. Divide the sausage mixture in half and roll each portion into an even sausage shape, 23 centimetres long. Place a sausage filling roll down the middle of each pastry rectangle and press it down lightly.

3. Brush the pastry on either side of the sausage filling with beaten egg. Now lift the pastry from the right side over the filling and then lift the left side over that. Flip the long sausage roll over so that the folded side is now on the bottom. Place this on a tray lined with baking paper and repeat with the other sausage filling and pastry.

4. Put both sausage rolls in the freezer to firm up for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

5. When the rolls are semi-frozen, cut each into three even-sized lengths. Brush the undersides with beaten egg, then turn them top side up. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (You can make them ahead to this point and keep them in the fridge, ready to cook.)

6. Place the sausage rolls on a lined baking tray and bake on a high shelf in the oven for 25 minutes. The pastry should be deep golden brown and the filling cooked through and piping hot. Let them cool down for a few minutes before tucking in.

Real Life Recipes by Tom Kerridge is published by Bloomsbury Absolute, priced £26. Photography by Cristian Barnett. Available now.