Black Pudding Parcels

Serves: serves 1 (meal) or 2 (snack)

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 45 mins

FOR THE SAUSAGE PARCEL:

1 medium - onion

1 oz - butter

1 - bay leaf

1 teaspoon - thyme

- salt and pepper

1 rasher (slice) - bacon

- plain flour (all-purpose flour)

9 oz - puff pastry

1 - egg

1 - black pudding

FOR THE SAUCE:

4 fl oz - single cream

2-3 teaspoons - wholegrain mustard

2-3 teaspoons - Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon - chopped parsley

Peel and roughly chop the onion. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the chopped onion, thyme and a bay leaf and cook over a very low heat for about 15-20 minutes. This caramelisation will help develop a lovely deep sweetness to the onions. Roughly chop the bacon rasher (streaky or back bacon - doesn't matter) and add to the pan near the end.
Lightly dust a work surface with a little plain flour (all-purpose flour), then roll out the puff pastry to about 10" x 8" (25cm x 20cm) rectangle - about ¼" (5mm) thick. Lay about half of the onion/bacon mixture in the centre of the pastry lengthways (roughly the same size and shape as the black pudding), place the black pudding on top, and then the other half of the onions on top.
Beat the egg and then egg wash the edges of the whole pastry sheet. Fold one side over the other and crimp the edges to seal in the juices and flavours, (neatness isn't a priority - just make sure you form a good seal). Cook the parcel on a baking sheet in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 6 - 400ºF - 200ºC) for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the mustard sauce by heating the cream in a saucepan and, little by little, stirring in teaspoons of both mustards testing it as you go until it suits your taste. Finish off with some chopped parsley and trickle it over the black pudding parcel when it emerges from the oven.