Pastizzi - onion and spice mix and the method

Next up the mix :

Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot. Cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the curry powder, celery salt and black pepper and fry for a further 30 seconds. Place in a container with a lid, cool and then fridge until ready for use.

The photos so far :

Take your pastry sheets out of the fridge and allow them to get to room temperature – you'll get a cracked and split sheet if you try to unroll straight away.

You will need two baking trays, floured and a round straight sided cutter 10cms/4” in diameter. Unroll the sheet – initially you should get six circles – gather the remnants and re-roll for a further four - a total of 10 pastizzi per PPS.

Place a level tablespoon of mixture in the middle of each circle. Brush half the circle with the beaten egg and fold up to seal. Edge the seal with a pastry fork and then egg wash. Do not overfill – use your pastry fork to flatten the filling, it will make it easier to fold and seal – follow the instructions and photos given in “The pastry fork and the dainty” and “The “dew” and the dainty bake” if you'd like to see a step by step photo guide.

The beauty of using a sheet is that it's already flat

– I'd give it a quick once over with a rolling pin just

for the fun of it

For more photos and Pastizzi Puff Pastry bake, read on …

Pastizzi

The dainty has reminded me of many holidays in Malta and Gozo, many moons ago. Most of us who are interested in food in whatever form – cooking it or eating it – remember stand out delights and the nostalgia that goes with it.

Pastizzi are traditional small pies or more accurately pastries usually made with mushy peas or ricotta cheese, these delicious snacks are baked in a pastizzeria – small family businesses – and sold in bars, cafés and by street sellers – long before street food became fashionable. I loved them both so I thought I'd re-visit and share the results with you.

If you like the idea of miniature pies or pastries but don't have the time or the inclination to make pastry, then I may have the answer. Our old friend the puff pastry sheet - aka “PPS”.

This recipe is for a curried pastizzi and comes in two stages, soaking and cooking the peas and then adding the onion and spice mix.

Makes 20 pastizzi

2 x 320g Puff pastry sheets

2 eggs, beaten to seal the pastries and

egg wash

175g split peas

1 tbsp of rapeseed oil

1 small brown onion, finely diced

2 cloves of roasted garlic

3 tsps of curry powder – mild or medium

celery salt and black pepper

The mushy peas

You can buy quick soak dried peas, they only take two hours. Incidentally here's your source of fibre not to mention low fat and low sugar. You get two bicarb soaking tablets – why two - so that if you decide to soak half the quantity you have a tablet for each half. A whole packet of peas is 250g.

Soaking

Tip the peas into a medium/large mixing bowl, with the soaking tablets and pour 850ml/1½ pints of boiling water over the peas. Stir them and leave for two hours, drain and rinse.

Cooking on the stove

Place the peas in a medium/large saucepan and add 425ml/¾ pint of boiling water. Add a teaspoon of sugar and salt. Boil gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the water has been absorbed or the peas are tender. Transfer the peas to a container with a cover and when cooled fridge until ready for use. You may find it useful to cook the peas the day before you want to use them.

You don't have to add the onion and spice mix – it's entirely a matter of taste.

Coming next … the onion and spice mix and the method.

The “dew” and the dainty bake

Place the dainties on a floured baking tray making sure you leave space between each pastry. Now for the “dew” - the double egg wash. Egg wash each dainty – remember where you begin – leave for a couple of minutes, then repeat.

they look fab, even before the bake!

Bake in a hot oven – 200fan/220c/Gas 7 for 15 minutes, then turn off your oven and leave for another 5 minutes. Don't forget to set your timer!

Here they are :

I love it when a plan ...

A pleasure to make and a greater pleasure to eat. A word of warning – tempted though you may be allow them to cool – you'll be sorry if you don't!

The pastry fork and the dainty

You can crimp the edge or, here's another idea.

Say hello to your new best friend and the latest in the kitchen kit category – a tiny pastry fork – aka a cake fork. It's a win win – small, doesn't take up space and inexpensive. You can spend as much or as little as you want. I bought mine from IKEA - £5.50 for six.

it measures 14cms/5½” in length

The pastry fork is the perfect tool to edge your dainty – the fork is small and easy to control. You get a neat and even edge.

Have a look : 

A great result – the “dew” and the bake up next.

The dainty

“Dainty” meaning pleasing to the taste; choice; delicious. A smaller version of the original pasty, again ideal for a picnic, a lunch box or a survival kit so perfectly portable or just because you like them!

Use a quarter of the pasty pastry and roll out on a floured surface and using a cutter (or the top of a cup) – you'll get eight per quarter – 3”/8cms in diameter, may be even 9. I love making these “dainty morsels” - it's a kind of therapy – I think I need to get out more!

Anyway, here's the recipe :

Cheese and Onion Dainty

filling

1 medium or half a large onion, finely diced

50g finely grated Parmesan

celery salt and black pepper

sprinkle of dried parsley

Combine all the above ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Use approximately 10g of mixture and place in the centre of your pastry circle. Dampen the edge of half the circle and fold to seal.

The step by step photos so far :

There's more ...

Pasty bits and pieces

Last year we went to Padstow on holiday. We love to arrive ahead of time, park, and wander - just what you need after a long journey. Our custom is to eat in on the first night and part of the “wander” is to check out where the nearest fish and chip shop is in relation to where we're staying. We had a fab house in New Street, just three doors up from St. Petroc's Bistro one of Rick Stein's restaurants. The chippy was literally a few yards further down the hill – if I'd have shouted our order they'd have heard me – result!

A small tip – don't order a Cornish Pasty from a chippy, I did and it was not a good experience. Hey ho, can't win 'em all. Never let it be said that I shirk my culinary duties and the next day I found The Chough Bakery, 3 The Strand, Padstow PL28 8AJ – on the Quayside. Chough is a small family run bakery and has been around for nearly 30 years – well qualified! I purchased a vegetarian Cornish Pasty, it was fantastic and wasn't the only one eaten during the week. You can always tell how good a bakery is by the queue. I also bought pasties to bring home.

Note to self – check out the local bakeries first!

During my research for this series I read that pasties keep hot for a long time – not rocket science I know – but apparently if you want them to keep hot even longer wrap them straight from the oven in either greaseproof or baking paper and then a clean tea towel. The story went on saying that a pasty made in Helston would still be “hot” when arriving in Exeter. Sounds a bit like a fairy story. It takes 2 hours to drive from Helston to Exeter and approximately 100 miles.

Whilst I didn't drive the distance I did wrap a pasty as it said and left it for two hours. Guess what … it does work and the pasty, whilst not piping hot was more than warm – sounds ridiculous, is there such a temperature between warm and hot?

I hope you've enjoyed this series on the humble pasty. Simple, tasty fare which deserves all its accolades. Perfect portable food!

I'm sure you won't be surprised to know that I've a few more “pasty” ideas for the portable food slot – watch this space.

The baking and the cutting

Make sure you sprinkle flour on your baking tray, it prevents sticking. Pre-heat your oven 200fan/220c/Gas 7.

Baking a meat pasty

Bake for 30 minutes and check. Turn the

tray and bake for a further 20 minutes. Turn off the oven

and leave the pasties in, with the oven door closed for

another 15 minutes.

If you find that your pasties are brown enough after

the 30 minutes turn the oven down to 140fan/160c/Gas 3

for the following 20 minutes.

Baking a veggie pasty

I used a fan oven and baked for 20 minutes, then

turned the tray for a further 20 minutes, turned off the

oven and left, with door closed, for a further 10 minutes

Here they are : 

baked and beautiful – even though I say so myself!

anyone fancy a pasty?

In a word – yum!