These sage, leek, and onion balls are so irresistibly delicious, they'll become a year-round favourite, not just for Christmas! Packed with aromatic sage and sweet leeks, they're perfect for any roast dinner. Plus, leeks are a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, and a good source of fibre. Make a double batch and freeze some for later!
to garnish (optional)
Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan/Gas Mark 5). Finely chop the onions and celery. Finely slice the leek into rings. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the chopped onions, sliced leek, and chopped celery to the hot oil in the frying pan. Cover the pan and soften the vegetables for 15 minutes until tender.
While the vegetables are cooking, squeeze the pork sausage meat out of its casings into a large mixing bowl. Finely chop the sage leaves.
Once the onion mixture has cooled slightly, tip it into the bowl with the sausage meat. Add the chopped sage, white breadcrumbs, and the large egg. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together thoroughly until well combined.
Set aside 250g of the mixture if you plan to stuff a turkey. Divide the remaining mixture into 16 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Halve the smoked streaky bacon rashers and stretch them out slightly. Wrap each stuffing ball with a bacon rasher.
Arrange the bacon-wrapped stuffing balls on a non-stick baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet loosely with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the foil from the baking sheet. Return the stuffing balls to the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until the bacon is golden and crispy and the stuffing balls are cooked through.
If desired, garnish the cooked stuffing balls with a fresh sage sprig before serving.
For best results, ensure the onion mixture is cooled before adding it to the sausage meat to prevent the egg from cooking prematurely.
These stuffing balls can be made ahead and frozen. Arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding an extra 10-15 minutes to the covered baking time.
If you don't have fresh sage, you can substitute with 1-2 teaspoons of dried sage, adjusting to your taste.