So, the promised feedback. When desperate for mom's meat pies, lentils proved to be a surprisingly good substitute. These pies are glorified Cornish pasties, in flaky pastry. I did three different fillings and two lots of pastry, so by the time I was finished my black apron was white with flour, I had flour nearly everywhere and pies tumbling all over the kitchen counter.....but the kitchen smelled so good!
May I suggest if you don't feel like the whole pastry rolling thing, try the traditional Cornish pasty dough, given below. It is easy make and accessible to all pastry dunces out there! If you have a favourite flaky pastry, use that. I use one with 4 cups flour, 2t salt, 12ml baking powder, lemon juice, water and 500g butter.
Lentil Filling
(This is a direct swop from mince to lentils, so you can use 500g mince!!)
1 cup brown lentils
Vegetable stock to cover
1 onion chopped
1 potato, cubed (small)
1 carrot, cubed
1 punnet peas (or 3/4 cup frozen)
salt, pepper
1T chopped parsley
1T tomato paste
1T soya sauce or Worcester sauce
Boil lentils in vegetable stock 10 minutes. Fry onion till soft, add lentils and all other ingredients, except salt. Cover and cook till lentils and veg are soft and liquid all absorbed. Check and add salt if needed. Leave to cool completely.
Cornish Pastry
270g Butter
375g flour
1/2t salt
60ml cold water
Rub butter into flour till it resembles bread crumbs, add salt. (Food processor or mixer does a good job of this!) Add the water and mix till pastry collects together in a mass. Knead briefly into a ball and rest 1 hour (in fridge if hot). I usually find I need a bit more water. On a floured surface roll dough out to approx 50mm thick, cut into rounds - use a saucer or side plate. Put filling in the centre, brush the edge of one half with egg and draw up the sides to meet on top of the filling in half moon shape; press edges together well. OR just fold over and press together well. Brush with egg, cut 2 slits in each pie and bake at approx 25min at 180C, or until golden. Serve hot or cold.
This is the easiest pastry and the pies are so good, your family will praise you and declare their mom,wife, partner is the best cook around. For me these pies are so reminiscent of my mom in the kitchen and brings back all sorts of good memories.Though my pies NEVER taste anything like as good as I remember hers tasting! I did a spinach filling as well, recipe on request.
No comments:
Post a Comment