We ate this on a cold February day, after zooming to the library to read about pirates, princesses and bears. I made you your own little pie, which you thought was fabulous.
This is great for using up any odds and ends of fish or prawns you’ve got lurking in the back of the freezer. To make enough for 4, you’ll need:
250g (ish) puff pastry (life’s too short to make this stuff)
chunks of fish – we had some cod offcuts from a previous meal, but any firm white fish or salmon would do
prawns – again, we had a mix of shell on prawns (which I de-shelled), and some of those tiny little cheapie frozen ones
1 onion, finely chopped
a couple of tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon butter
milk – I must have used at least half a pint
a small pile of grated cheese – say 50g
Stick the oven on at about 180 degrees C. You’ll need to find a pie dish of some description – you could use lots of small ones (ramekins are perfect for small people), or a big pyrex or enamel job.
Fry the onions in a little olive oil until they’ve softened, and then tip them into your pie dish.
Next, you’ll need to poach your fish. Place it in a pan, and cover with milk. Bring to the boil, and then quickly turn down to a simmer. Depending on how large your pieces of fish are (in particular how thick), it’ll take from 4-8 minutes to poach them.
Fish the pieces out of the milk with a slotted spoon, and place on a plate. Flake, and check carefully for bones. Sling your small chunks of fish in the pie dish too, and add the prawns (assuming they’ve been defrosted thoroughly if you’ve retrieved them from the freezer!).
You now need to make a white sauce, to go over the fish and onions. Take the warm milk you used to poach the fish, and melt the butter in it. Add the flour, and whisk until it starts to thicken (keep simmering the milk, and don’t let boil). Add the grated cheese, salt and black pepper, and whisk until smooth.
Pour the white sauce over the fish. Roll out the pastry to the size of your dish, and place over the top of the fish mixture – you’ll need to make a couple of slits to let the steam out. Place the dish on a baking tray (in case of spills), and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and golden.
It’s delicious with some steamed broccoli – and of, course, you’ve got to have peas…
Showing posts with label puff pastry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label puff pastry. Show all posts
03 February 2010
19 January 2010
Fish, spinach and rice parcel
This is a bit like the koulibiac recipe I've done before - except with a bit more veg. The parcel sounds rather sinister, but is actually made with puff pastry. Hurrah!
You'll need:
trout - a couple of fillets
200g (ish) cooked rice
1/3 bag of fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested
salt and black pepper
250g block puff pastry
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C, and get out a large baking tray.
First of all, fry your onion in a little olive oil until it turns translucent. Chuck into a large bowl, and mix in the cooked rice. Add the spinach, and mix until everything has turned green.
Cover the trout with cold water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or so until the fish is poached, and has turned pink throughout. Remove from the water, flake and add to the spinach/rice mix. Season everything with the lemon zest, and a good screw of salt and black pepper.
Roll out your puff pastry into a long rectangle, and then put carefully on your lined/greased oven tray. Place the fish/rice/spinach mix in a line down the middle of the pastry. It'll be quite a big, fat line - carefully ease the pastry up on both sides, and pinch together at the top (if it doesn't stick, use a little water to wet it).
Sling the whole parcel/roll into the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes. It's really nice with a green salad, and a wedge or two of lemon.
You'll need:
trout - a couple of fillets
200g (ish) cooked rice
1/3 bag of fresh spinach, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested
salt and black pepper
250g block puff pastry
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C, and get out a large baking tray.
First of all, fry your onion in a little olive oil until it turns translucent. Chuck into a large bowl, and mix in the cooked rice. Add the spinach, and mix until everything has turned green.
Cover the trout with cold water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or so until the fish is poached, and has turned pink throughout. Remove from the water, flake and add to the spinach/rice mix. Season everything with the lemon zest, and a good screw of salt and black pepper.
Roll out your puff pastry into a long rectangle, and then put carefully on your lined/greased oven tray. Place the fish/rice/spinach mix in a line down the middle of the pastry. It'll be quite a big, fat line - carefully ease the pastry up on both sides, and pinch together at the top (if it doesn't stick, use a little water to wet it).
Sling the whole parcel/roll into the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes. It's really nice with a green salad, and a wedge or two of lemon.
26 October 2009
Butternut squash and feta tart
Your Dad and I ate this in front of the telly after you'd gone to bed, indulging in a little West Wing season 3.
Makes enough for 2. You'll need:
puff pastry, about 200g (I bought this - life's too short to make it)
1 onion, finely sliced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small cubes
a good slug of olive oil
50-100g feta cheese, cubed
dried thyme, lots of black pepper
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C, and fish out a baking tray.
Sling the cubed squash into a pan with a good splosh of olive oil, and gently fry until it softens. Add the onion, and fry for another 5 minutes or so, until it turns translucent.
Roll out the pastry into whatever fancy shape you like (I'm rather boring, and usually go for a rectangle). About 1cm in from the edge, draw a border round the whole piece of pastry using the point of a knife. Carefully place the pastry on a greased baking tray.
Tip the squash/onion onto the pastry, and even it out. Scatter over the feta cheese (if I was Nigella I would say tumble, but that's wrong wrong wrong) thyme and black pepper.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry has turned crisp and golden.
Makes enough for 2. You'll need:
puff pastry, about 200g (I bought this - life's too short to make it)
1 onion, finely sliced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small cubes
a good slug of olive oil
50-100g feta cheese, cubed
dried thyme, lots of black pepper
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C, and fish out a baking tray.
Sling the cubed squash into a pan with a good splosh of olive oil, and gently fry until it softens. Add the onion, and fry for another 5 minutes or so, until it turns translucent.
Roll out the pastry into whatever fancy shape you like (I'm rather boring, and usually go for a rectangle). About 1cm in from the edge, draw a border round the whole piece of pastry using the point of a knife. Carefully place the pastry on a greased baking tray.
Tip the squash/onion onto the pastry, and even it out. Scatter over the feta cheese (if I was Nigella I would say tumble, but that's wrong wrong wrong) thyme and black pepper.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry has turned crisp and golden.
14 April 2009
Salmon pie (koulibiac)
I adapted this from a recipe in Olive - seduced by the pictures yet again. It's probably the easiest thing you could make for a dinner party, especially if you have guests who don't eat meat (but do like fish).
Apparently this is a traditional Russian pie, which is usually filled with salmon, or sturgeon. It makes enough for 6, especially if you err on the generous side with the rice.
You'll need
500g block of puff pastry (life is certainly too short to start making your own)
250g (ish) cooked rice
2 hardboiled eggs, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
a very large handful of dill, chopped
2 large fillets of salmon
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C.
Cover the salmon with cold water, and bring to the boil. Simmer until the fish is nicely poached, and has turned pink throughout (it'll take maybe 5 minutes, depending on how thick your fillets are). Drain (you could keep the water for a fishy soup), and flake the fish into a bowl, checking for bones as you go.
Mix in the cooked rice, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and dill. The smell is to die for.
Divide your block of pastry in two, and roll each out into a large rectangle. Place one on your baking tray (on a silicon sheet or piece of greaseproof paper), and then carefully spoon the filling onto it, leaving a border round the edge.
Wet the edges/border of the pastry, and then place the other sheet of pastry on top. You'll need to press down the edges, so the filling can't escape. Cut a slit in the top to let the steam escape, and brush with a little milk to glaze.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown, and the filling piping hot.
Apparently this is a traditional Russian pie, which is usually filled with salmon, or sturgeon. It makes enough for 6, especially if you err on the generous side with the rice.
You'll need
500g block of puff pastry (life is certainly too short to start making your own)
250g (ish) cooked rice
2 hardboiled eggs, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
a very large handful of dill, chopped
2 large fillets of salmon
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C.
Cover the salmon with cold water, and bring to the boil. Simmer until the fish is nicely poached, and has turned pink throughout (it'll take maybe 5 minutes, depending on how thick your fillets are). Drain (you could keep the water for a fishy soup), and flake the fish into a bowl, checking for bones as you go.
Mix in the cooked rice, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and dill. The smell is to die for.
Divide your block of pastry in two, and roll each out into a large rectangle. Place one on your baking tray (on a silicon sheet or piece of greaseproof paper), and then carefully spoon the filling onto it, leaving a border round the edge.
Wet the edges/border of the pastry, and then place the other sheet of pastry on top. You'll need to press down the edges, so the filling can't escape. Cut a slit in the top to let the steam escape, and brush with a little milk to glaze.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown, and the filling piping hot.
02 March 2009
Leek and thyme pastries
You're still in the throes of chicken pox, so you had leek and bacon pasta for tea. Your Dad and I decided to go all sophisticated with these later on.
You'll need:
2 large leeks, sliced
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1 egg, beaten
black pepper, dried thyme
125g (ish) puff pastry (readymade)
Stick the oven on at 180 degrees C.
Fry the leeks in a little olive oil, until they've softened. Add lots of dried thyme (I would use fresh, but there's none to be found outside at the moment) and black pepper. Leave to cool slightly.
Beat together the egg and creme fraiche, and add to the leeks.
Roll out your puff pastry into a couple of rectangles. Fold over the edges of each, to make a thin border, and place on a baking tray (preferably on a silicon sheet). Tip the leek mixture onto each piece of pastry, and spread it out evenly. It's delicious as it is, but you could also grate some parmesan on top of the leek mixture, if you'd like a stronger taste.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or so, until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
You'll need:
2 large leeks, sliced
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1 egg, beaten
black pepper, dried thyme
125g (ish) puff pastry (readymade)
Stick the oven on at 180 degrees C.
Fry the leeks in a little olive oil, until they've softened. Add lots of dried thyme (I would use fresh, but there's none to be found outside at the moment) and black pepper. Leave to cool slightly.
Beat together the egg and creme fraiche, and add to the leeks.
Roll out your puff pastry into a couple of rectangles. Fold over the edges of each, to make a thin border, and place on a baking tray (preferably on a silicon sheet). Tip the leek mixture onto each piece of pastry, and spread it out evenly. It's delicious as it is, but you could also grate some parmesan on top of the leek mixture, if you'd like a stronger taste.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or so, until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
02 February 2009
Giant sausage roll
I can't really claim credit for this one - your Dad made it while I was on a trip to London. You both spent ages playing in the snow on Grandma's sledge today (the sledge is a doozy of a thing, a wooden bench on cast iron runners that's large enough to seat at least four small children, and goes like the clappers downhill).
You'll need:
200-300g sausagemeat (either split some sausages and remove the meat from the casing, or buy some sausagemeat - ours was pork and apple)
half a block (about 250g) of puff pastry
a little beaten egg
Making a sausage roll (or rolls, if you make little ones), is dead easy. First of all, you'll need to stick your oven on high (about 180-190 degrees C).
Then roll out your puff pastry, to A4 size. Assemble your sausagemeat along one side (in a long roll/sausage shape), then carefully roll up in the pastry. You'll need to seal the edge with a little water, or beaten egg.
Place on a baking tray (preferably on a silicon sheet, or sheet of greaseproof paper). Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg. If you want it to look really fancy, you could slash the pastry top with a knife.
Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. Obviously if you make small sausage rolls, these will cook quicker. You could get all poncey and start doing things with plaits of pastry, but to be honest the plain ones always taste the best.
You'll need:
200-300g sausagemeat (either split some sausages and remove the meat from the casing, or buy some sausagemeat - ours was pork and apple)
half a block (about 250g) of puff pastry
a little beaten egg
Making a sausage roll (or rolls, if you make little ones), is dead easy. First of all, you'll need to stick your oven on high (about 180-190 degrees C).
Then roll out your puff pastry, to A4 size. Assemble your sausagemeat along one side (in a long roll/sausage shape), then carefully roll up in the pastry. You'll need to seal the edge with a little water, or beaten egg.
Place on a baking tray (preferably on a silicon sheet, or sheet of greaseproof paper). Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg. If you want it to look really fancy, you could slash the pastry top with a knife.
Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. Obviously if you make small sausage rolls, these will cook quicker. You could get all poncey and start doing things with plaits of pastry, but to be honest the plain ones always taste the best.
19 January 2009
Stilton, red Russian kale and courgette pie
Bear with me here. It sounds a bit of an odd combination, and it was born out of the need to use up the last of the stilton from Christmas. We also had some weird stuff in the veg box this week which turned out to be red Russian kale, and I'd run out of things to do with it.
To be honest, though, there's very little that can't be improved by sticking a piece of pastry on top.
You'll need:
a small block of puff pastry (life's too short to faff about making this from scratch on a Monday night)
a small block of stilton (I guess I had about 150g of the stuff left), cubed
a couple of onions, finely chopped
a large courgette, cut into small pieces
a couple of handfuls of red Russian kale (spinach would also be good, but you'd need a lot more of it)
a small carton of cream (I didn't have this, so I used a small pot of cheese sauce which was lurking in the back of the freezer)
black pepper (I didn't add any salt because the stilton is salty enough), a teaspoon of dried thyme
Stick the oven on at 180 degrees C. Hopefully miss out the bit where it trips the electricity, and you have to go out in the freezing cold to turn the switch back on.
First of all, sort out your filling. Gently fry the onions in a little olive oil until they've softened, then add the courgette and the thyme, and cook for 5 minutes on a gentle heat.
Chop your kale into small pieces, and blanch - put into boiling water for 5 minutes, until the purple has turned to green (spooky). Drain (the water will be beautifully purple), and chuck into the bottom of your pie dish. Add the courgette/thyme/onion mixture, and gently turn until it's all combined.
Scatter the cubes of stilton over the top of the mixture, and season generously with black pepper. Pour your cream (or creme fraiche or whatever) over the top.
Roll out the puff pastry to the size of your pie dish, and lay it over the top of everything (remember to make a couple of small holes in the top to let the steam out). Bung in the oven for 20-30 minutes (or until the top is golden brown and puffed up).
03 January 2009
Cheesy puffs
The block of puff pastry I bought to make the apple galette just went on and on and on...this made use of the last remnants. We scoffed them in the car* on the first picnic of the year, overlooking the lake at Herrington.
You'll need:
some offcuts of puff pastry
grated cheese (preferably mature cheddar, or something strong)
a sprinkle of paprika
I baked these in the oven at about 200 degrees C.
Roll out your pastry - you need some strips about 2 inches wide, and 3 inches long. Place the grated cheese at one end, sprinkle a bit of paprika on top, and then roll up. Pinch the edges together really well (if you want to seal it properly you could brush it with a little beaten egg), and stick on a lined baking tray. Repeat ad nauseam, depending on how much pastry you've got left.
Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up (it should look like little sausage rolls), and gone golden brown.
I thought these would be perfect for three-year-olds, but you refused to have anything to do with them. Next time I might try sausage rolls.
*Yes, I know picnics are generally eaten outside, but it was 2 degrees on the car thermometer and we were feeling too feeble.
You'll need:
some offcuts of puff pastry
grated cheese (preferably mature cheddar, or something strong)
a sprinkle of paprika
I baked these in the oven at about 200 degrees C.
Roll out your pastry - you need some strips about 2 inches wide, and 3 inches long. Place the grated cheese at one end, sprinkle a bit of paprika on top, and then roll up. Pinch the edges together really well (if you want to seal it properly you could brush it with a little beaten egg), and stick on a lined baking tray. Repeat ad nauseam, depending on how much pastry you've got left.
Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up (it should look like little sausage rolls), and gone golden brown.
I thought these would be perfect for three-year-olds, but you refused to have anything to do with them. Next time I might try sausage rolls.
*Yes, I know picnics are generally eaten outside, but it was 2 degrees on the car thermometer and we were feeling too feeble.
02 January 2009
Chicken, ham and leek pie
The leftover pie to end all leftovers - chicken/capon from Christmas Day (don't worry, it hasn't been hanging around for that long - I froze it), ham from New Year's Day dinner, and the other half of the puff pastry I used to make apple galette.
It made a quick tea, after an afternoon of creating a rocket for Captain Jack, reading The Man on the Moon and watching Wallace and Gromit's Grand Day Out.
Makes enough for 4 (if you like it with mashed potato on the side), or 2 if you're especially greedy and only eat it with veg.
You'll need:
about 200g of puff pastry
leftover cooked chicken - a couple of hundred grammes
leftover cooked ham (ditto)
two large leeks, sliced
lots of dried thyme
leftover gravy (you could also use bechamel sauce or single cream/creme fraiche)
black pepper
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C.
Chop the chicken and ham into small pieces, and scatter in the bottom of your pie dish. Chuck the leeks in a frying pan with a little olive oil and the thyme, and cook until they've softened. Add them to the pie dish.
Pour over the gravy/sauce/cream, and season with lots of black pepper.
Roll out the puff pastry to the size of your pie dish. Place the pastry over the top of the pie, making a couple of small slits in the top to let the steam out (I don't have a fancy pie funnel so this has to do).
Shove in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown, and the filling is piping hot.
Serve with lots of green vegetables (and possibly some mash).
UPDATE: you can also make a rather good chicken turnover/pasty if you have enough pastry left. Roll it out to about 2/3 A4 size, and put a handful of chicken and whatever cooked vegetables you have lurking in the fridge (I used some sweet potato/swede mash) in the bottom third. Fold over the pastry, and pinch the left, right and bottom edges together really well (you could also brush with a little water or beaten egg to help it stick). Make a small hole in the top, and bung in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until it's golden brown and puffed up.
See also cheesy puffs...
It made a quick tea, after an afternoon of creating a rocket for Captain Jack, reading The Man on the Moon and watching Wallace and Gromit's Grand Day Out.
Makes enough for 4 (if you like it with mashed potato on the side), or 2 if you're especially greedy and only eat it with veg.
You'll need:
about 200g of puff pastry
leftover cooked chicken - a couple of hundred grammes
leftover cooked ham (ditto)
two large leeks, sliced
lots of dried thyme
leftover gravy (you could also use bechamel sauce or single cream/creme fraiche)
black pepper
Stick the oven on at about 200 degrees C.
Chop the chicken and ham into small pieces, and scatter in the bottom of your pie dish. Chuck the leeks in a frying pan with a little olive oil and the thyme, and cook until they've softened. Add them to the pie dish.
Pour over the gravy/sauce/cream, and season with lots of black pepper.
Roll out the puff pastry to the size of your pie dish. Place the pastry over the top of the pie, making a couple of small slits in the top to let the steam out (I don't have a fancy pie funnel so this has to do).
Shove in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown, and the filling is piping hot.
Serve with lots of green vegetables (and possibly some mash).
UPDATE: you can also make a rather good chicken turnover/pasty if you have enough pastry left. Roll it out to about 2/3 A4 size, and put a handful of chicken and whatever cooked vegetables you have lurking in the fridge (I used some sweet potato/swede mash) in the bottom third. Fold over the pastry, and pinch the left, right and bottom edges together really well (you could also brush with a little water or beaten egg to help it stick). Make a small hole in the top, and bung in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until it's golden brown and puffed up.
See also cheesy puffs...
01 January 2009
Apple galette
We ate this for New Year's Eve dinner, after some rather good haggis.
This makes enough for six greedy people (an A4-sized baking tray's worth).
You'll need:
about 250g puff pastry (you can make your own, but life's too short - I bought a block in Sainsbury's and very good it was too)
about half a large yoghurt pot's worth of apple sauce (enough to cover the base of the galette)
three large cooking apples, cored and sliced thinly (I like mine with the peel still on, but you could go the whole hog and peel them too)
a teaspoon of cinnamon
a tablespoon of butter
a tablespoon of dark brown sugar
Line your baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicon sheet. Roll out the puff pastry to the size of the baking tray (I rolled the pastry out to about 3mm thick - if you've got any left you can always make some mini galettes or turnovers). Take a sharp knife, and score a border all the way around the pastry, about a centimetre in from the edge.
Liberally spread the apple sauce over the pastry, keeping it inside the border. Then decorate with the apple slices - I did mine in overlapping rows, but you could get far more intricate.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, together with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Pour over the apple slices.
Bung the whole thing in the oven at about 200 degrees C for around 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. You can eat it straightaway with some cream, but it also reheats in the oven for later.
This makes enough for six greedy people (an A4-sized baking tray's worth).
You'll need:
about 250g puff pastry (you can make your own, but life's too short - I bought a block in Sainsbury's and very good it was too)
about half a large yoghurt pot's worth of apple sauce (enough to cover the base of the galette)
three large cooking apples, cored and sliced thinly (I like mine with the peel still on, but you could go the whole hog and peel them too)
a teaspoon of cinnamon
a tablespoon of butter
a tablespoon of dark brown sugar
Line your baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicon sheet. Roll out the puff pastry to the size of the baking tray (I rolled the pastry out to about 3mm thick - if you've got any left you can always make some mini galettes or turnovers). Take a sharp knife, and score a border all the way around the pastry, about a centimetre in from the edge.
Liberally spread the apple sauce over the pastry, keeping it inside the border. Then decorate with the apple slices - I did mine in overlapping rows, but you could get far more intricate.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, together with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Pour over the apple slices.
Bung the whole thing in the oven at about 200 degrees C for around 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. You can eat it straightaway with some cream, but it also reheats in the oven for later.
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