Italian Sausage Porto Cheese roll starter

Start a holiday event right with an inviting Italian sausage roll oozing with cheese.
Dijon mustard and Porto pair perfectly to add to the experience of opening appetites.

I recently had a chance to walk in another one of my favourite parks:
'de la Petite Rivière-du-Nord regional park'
...within the chutes Wilson in the Lower Laurentians, Quebec:
750 Chemin de la Rivière du Nord, Saint-Jérôme.

Not only was I embraced with its' striking landscape, I was received with a surprise of sorts.
Some local artisans showcased several sculptures made from wood pieces found laying in the forest.

Here are just a few of my favourites.
An incredible talent that was appreciated in its entirety.

Before I get into the upcoming holiday decorations and food preparations...
I was grateful to allow myself one last visit at this nearby nature park.
Picked myself a few pine cones and took in some well needed fresh air and exercise.

Back to sharing a recipe I had the pleasure to serve to my loved ones lately.
This came together very nicely and I'm looking forward to making it again with more cheeses.

With the holidays coming, this starter will certainly impress.

Italian Sausage Porto sauce Cheese roll
serves 4

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INGREDIENTS:
(American / Metric measures)


. 2 large, mild Italian sausages, uncased
. 4 oz. (100g) melting cheese* 
. 1 Tbsp. (15ml) e.v.Olive oil
. 1 Tbsp. (15ml) unsalted butter
. 1 Tbsp. (15ml) Dijon mustard
. 1/4 cup (60ml) Porto

* Certain cheeses that pair well into this sausage roll: aged Cheddar, Emmental, Fontina, Havarti, Gruyere, Gorgonzola, Monterey Jack etc.

PREPARATION:

1. Use the meat part of the sausages and mix it until it all comes together tightly.

2. Place the meat onto a flat surface in order to pat and shape it into a rectangle.  Respect a certain thickness in order to be able to later roll it into a cylinder.

3. In the center, leaving some space on the ends, place the cheese.  Carefully make a tight roll by making sure that the cheese is well encased and that the sausage meat does not fall apart.  Set aside.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and Porto.  Set aside.

5. In a shallow pan, heat both the oil and butter on MED-HIGH.
6. Seize the sausage on all sides.   Pour the mustard-Porto mix over the sausages and let it cook only 30 seconds before removing the pan away from the heat.  The rolls are done and they need to rest 10 minutes before cutting them into 12 pieces. 
. Serve with a drizzle of sauce over the sausage roll units to be placed on a bed of salad.

Looking forward to November moments in my kitchen.  

Cranking up the oven and getting those creations up and running has brought...

excitement in looking forward to the upcoming hectic holidays.

Start your day right and end it with a satisfactory smile and pat on the back for a day well spent.

Have a great week everyone.

Flavourful wishes,

Foodessa

Comments ... ??? ... or suggestions ... write me :o)

Claudia at:  foodessa [at] gmail [dot] com

Go HERE for more SAVOURY creations.

Please take note on how I bake and cook...

Here’s a 101 of sorts to make sure that there are no disappointments when trying my creations.  

Also...just so you know...feel free to increase the salt and sweet factor since I'm not high on either of them ;o)

. Use DRY cup measurements for...you guessed it...all DRY ingredients.

Anything DRY gets measured by spooning the overfilled ingredient (never shake the cup) and then level off with a flat edged tool.  Exception...Brown sugar should be packed in and leveled.

. Use LIQUID cup measurements for...all LIQUIDS that cannot be leveled like for example butter, yogurt...etc.  Measure the liquids at eye level to avoid overdoing what the recipe truly needs.

. OVENS are unfortunately not created equal.  Mine is so old that it has reached many degrees off it's norm.  It's really worth investing a few dollars to test yours with an appropriate oven thermometer.  You'd be surprised how many ovens I've heard about not being where they should have been.  Before you lose any more ingredients and much time preparing a new recipe...run to the store...you'll thank me later.