Shortcrust Pastry
(approx. 10 tarts – 10cm diameter)
| Unsalted butter – soft | ½ lb |
| Plain flour | 1 lb |
| Salt | Pinch |
| Eggs | 2 medium |
Rub salt, flour and butter together until crumble-like in texture. Handle as little as possible. Beat eggs and add to the mix to form a ‘roll-able’ paste.
Let it rest for ½ hour.
Roll out to ¼ cm thick.
Butter dishes and place pastry into dishes. Puncture the base with a fork.
Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans.
Bake in the oven for 20 mins at 180°C, gas 4.
NB. To make more or less pastry the quantity of flour to butter is always 2:1
Quiche Lorraine
| Shortcrust pastry | Blind baked and cooled |
| Lean, cooked bacon or ham | 3-4oz |
| Eggs | 3 |
| Double cream | ½ pint |
| Salt | ½ tsp |
| Black pepper | To taste |
| Nutmeg | Pinch |
| Chives, chopped |
Beat the eggs and cream with seasonings, cooked bacon and chopped chives.
Place mixture into baked tart case and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the mix has cooked browned.
Chicken and Leek Pastie
| Shortcrust pastry | |
| Chicken supreme | 1 – diced |
| Leek | 4oz |
| Onion | 2oz |
| Salt | To taste |
| Pepper | To taste |
| Butter | 1oz |
| Plain Flour | 1oz |
| Double cream | 2 fl oz |
| Herb of choice | |
| Chicken stock | ½ pint |
| Egg | 1 – for egg wash |
Slice leek and dice onion. Rub flour and butter together to make paste (beurre manié). Poach chicken, leek and onion in stock until cooked and remove. Boil stock and thicken with beurre manié, simmer for 4-5 mins and add cream. Bring to boil and add chicken mix. Take off heat, season and cool. Roll out pastry and cut a circle. Place cooled mix in the centre and make crimped purse. Egg wash and bake for 20 mins at 200°C, gas 6.
Salmon en Croute (serves 1)
| Salmon | 1 fillet |
| Baby spinach | Large handful |
| Puff pastry | 90g / 3oz |
| Garlic | 1 clove |
Smash and finely chop the garlic. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic and spinach. Take pan off the heat. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry large enough to cover the salmon. Place the spinach mix in the middle of the pastry and place the salmon on top. Season the salmon. Cover with puff pastry and bake in the oven until the salmon is cooked though – 200°C for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
NB if you want to add chilli, chop and add at the same time as the garlic.
Steak and Ale Pie
| Puff pastry | 6 oz |
| Egg | 1 – for egg wash |
| Stewing beef | 4oz |
| Carrot | ½ |
| Onion | ¼ |
| Ale | A glug |
| Tomato puree | 1 teaspoon |
| Beef stock | ½ pint |
| Flour | For dusting and rolling |
| Vegetable oil | 1 tablespoon |
Lightly flour the beef and season it. Roughly chop carrot and onion. Sal the floured meat in oil and brown, add onions, carrots and tomato puree. Slowly brown the mix and add the ale. On a low heat, add stock to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the meat tender (more stock may have to be added until the meat is tender). Leave to cool.
Roll out puff pastry to ¼ cm thick. Put the mix in the dish and cover with the puff pastry. Crimp the edges and egg wash. Make a small air rent in the middle with a knife.
Bake for 20-25 mins at 200°C, gas 6, until pastry is brown and puffed.
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