This dish calls to mind refrigerator roll biscuit dough and hotdogs, but the original dish invented in Germany called worstenbroodjes were actually sausages wrapped in a pancake. Although there is historical reference back to the 1600’s of food being wrapped in dough for a quick meal on the go.
Today we think of this as an appetizer and with one of the biggest finger food days approaching The Super Bowl I felt it fitting to take on the challenge to put my own spin on these little bites. So, rather than utilizing puff pastry, or crescent roll dough I wanted to return to the spirit of the original recipe.
To create my gourmet PiB version it will be in two parts first the blanket and then the filling. My blankets are closer to a crepe and for my pig I’ll hand roll some fresh sausage. I like mine with a bit of kick so I used the hot, but feel free to use the regular, or sage or even maple.
Ingredients:
- Sausage (I buy the square package but the tube works as well)
- Sweet Vidalia Onion
- Swiss or Gruyere cheese (optional)
- 1/3 cup buckwheat flour (if you don’t have use regular wheat flour)
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 egg
- 4 TBS butter melted
Thinly slice the onion and cook till translucent (add a dash of sugar) in ½ a stick of butter, save the other half for the blanket. While the onions cook slowly roll the sausage into links about 2-3 inches long and ½ an inch thick, once the onions are translucent add the sausage links and continue to cook till the sausages are done and the onions have a nice color. Drain any fat and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and whisk all the moist ingredients in another. Combine and whisk till smooth.( It will be a thin batter) In a 6” non-stick skillet over medium high heat put a few drops of the reserved sausage fat and 3 TBS of the batter, I found a ¼ cup to be too much, roll the pan a bit to let the batter cover the bottom of the pan to create a very thin pancake. As the edges brown and it stops steaming, flip it over in the pan and cook just a bit longer. Repeat till blankets are done.
To assemble place a piece of sausage, a few strands of onion and a few shreds of the cheese on one edge of the blanket and roll like a burrito folding the ends in to seal. Place in a baking dish so you can warm them in the oven. To serve spear each PiB with a toothpick and plate them with some dipping sauces. I recommend a Dijon mustard, a Cajun Rémoulade or even a spicy pepper jelly. Since I’m writing this ahead of playoffs I hope the Cats are still in the hunt for the ring. I can’t help but root for the home team, Go Panthers!
Till next time, remember to ‘Make it Your Own!’
Glenn
