Recipe: Black truffle rarebit rolls

Somerset Life Chef of the Year Steve James shares the recipe for these cheesy delights that are perfect for a pre Christmas dinner appetiser

(Makes 16)

INGREDIENTS

200g Godminster black truffle vintage Cheddar

1 small red onion, finely diced

1tsp Fussels rapeseed oil

1tbsp butter

1tbsp flour

115ml Bath Ale wild hare (the rest of the bottle can be used in the roast squash recipe later)

2tsp Worcestershire sauce

1tsp mustard

100g fresh breadcrumbs

Freshly ground pepper

Flaked Dorset sea salt

2 packs of pre-rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten for sealing and glazing

METHOD

1. Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil and diced onion, fry until softened but not coloured.

2. Add the butter and then once melted add the flour, stir to combine, and then cook for one minute until it starts to smell ‘biscuity’. Add the ale and stir until smooth, cook until the mixture is thick and starts to come away from the sides of the pan.

3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and breadcrumbs and cook for one more minute. Season with the pepper and salt and then leave aside to cool completely.

4. Once cold, roll out your puff pastry sheets, divide both in half lengthways and then divide each half into four so you have 16 pieces in total. Divide your rarebit mixture into 16 equal pieces and roll into sausage shapes about a centimeter shorter than your pastry rectangle.

5. Place one inside of each piece of pastry and roll the pastry around the rarebit sealing with a little bit of beaten egg and seal both ends to stop the mixture leaking. Score a pattern on the top and brush the top with egg wash.

6. Bake at 180C for around 25-30 minutes until risen and golden.

7. Cool slightly and serve with Worcestershire sauce mayonnaise.

For the Worcestershire sauce mayonnaise

INGREDIENTS

3tbsp Fussels mayonnaise

1tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of flaked Dorset sea salt

1 tsp lemon juice

METHOD

1. Mix the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, salt and lemon juice to combine, taste to check it is well balanced adding more salt or lemon juice if you wish.

To see more Christmas recipes, including chicken in English sparkling wine with roasted grapes, see the December 2020 edition of Somerset Life.