Pies and pasties for holidays

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 16

Pies and pasties for holidays

School holidays mean more meals for home cooks to prepare. Pies and pasties are usually popular with the young and they can be made ahead, deep frozen and used on particularly busy days to save precious time. SAVOURY DUMPLINGS These Savoury Dumplings are made with onions stuffed with a tasty filling, enclosed in pastry and baked. The recipe makes eight dumplings. You will need:— 8 medium size onions i cup chopped bacon 1 cup minced cooked liver or minced cooked meat I cup chopped walnuts (optional) I apple 1 level teaspoon curry powder cup soft breadcrumbs 1 egg Salt and pepper 350 g shortcrust or flaky pastry Method: Choose sound onions and after peeling cook in boiling salted water for 5 minutes; drain and remove centres leaving shells about|cm in thickness. Fry bacon in its own fat with a few drops of cold water until cooked. Peel and grate or dice apple. Chop removed onion centres and combine meat, bacon, onion, apple, curry powder, breadcrumbs and seasoning to taste. Add beaten egg and mix well. Fill into onion shells. Roll pastry thinly and cut into squares large enough to completely enclose the filled onions. Place onion in centre of each ■ - of pastry,

moisten edges and bring the four points up to centre. Press points together. Brush lightly with milk and place on a greased tray. Bake at 400425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes. FRUITED SAUSAGE ROLLS

Fruited Sausage Rolls can be made to any size and can be eaten hot or cold. They combine pork sausages with apricots and bananas. Serves six. You will need:— 450 g flaky pastry 450 g pork sausages 125 g dried apricots 3 bananas 1 clove garlic or a little grated onion Method: Roll pastry thinly and cut into oblings. Par-boil sausages by putting in pan with cold water and bring to the boil; cool and remove skins then cut each one in half. Soak apricots; drain and chop small. Place a piece of sausage on each piece of pastry with a quarter banana (sliced in half lengthwise and cut into four) and a spoonful of chopped apricots. Dampen edges of pastry and roll as for sausage rolls. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes; reduced heat to 350 and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and lightly coloured. If garlic is used, crush and in the grated onion. CORNISH PASTIES Cornish Pasties contain potato, onion and meat. Serves six. You will need:— 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder i cup butter 1 teaspoon salt 350 g stewing steak 1 medium size potato 1 onion Salt and pepper

Mixed herbs Method: Sift flour, baking powder and salt; rub in butter. Mix to a stiffish dough with cold water and roll to a thickness of |

inch. Cut into rounds about 6 inches across. Chop meat in very small dice; dice potato and grate or chop onion. Combine meat and vegetables and add a pinch of mixed herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Blend very well and moisten with one or two tablespoons of stock or milk. Pile a generous quantity in centre of each

FOOD AND RECIPES

By

Celia Timms

pastry round. Moisten edges and fold over, crimping alone one side with prongs of fork. Brush with a little milk or white of egg and place on cold oven slide. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, reducing heat if browning too quickly. CHICKEN ROLL Chicken Roll needs cooked chicken in a filling which is made and cooled before combining with the pastry. Serves four. You will need:— 225 g puff or flaky pastry 225 g cooked chicken, cut small 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 2 tablespoons grated onion 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup milk Nutmeg Salt and pepper 1 egg Method: Melt butter and

add grated or finely chopped onion and saute

for 2-3 minutes; add flour and cook for another few minutes before gradually adding milk. Stir until thickened. Add parsley and chicken and season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch' of nutmeg. The mixture should be thick. Cool. Roll pastry thinly to an oblong approximately 30 by 25cm. Place the cooled filling down centre leaving an equal width of pastry on either side. Using a very sharp knife cut these side pieces on the slant and from the outer edge just up to the filling, making the cuts about J inch apart. Do this on both sides ensuring that the cuts are opposite to one another. Brush lightly with beaten egg on the under side and bring a strip across the filling alternately from each side to form a plait. Place on baking tray and put into a 425 oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and continue to cook for 25-30 minutes until

pastry is crisp and lightly browned. SARDINE PASTIES Sardine Pasties are normally quite small but can be made to any size to suit personal requirements. You will need: 125 g butter 125 g cream cheese 125 g flour 2 tins sardines 2 hard-boiled eggs 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Lemon juice Curry powder Salt and pepper Method: Soften butter and combine with cream cheese, beating until smooth. Add flour and mix with a fork until thoroughly blended. Knead lightly into a ball and chill for an hour or two. Mash drained sardines, add a little lemon juice, curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. Chop eggs finely and add with the parsley. Mix well. Roll chilled pastry to } in and cut into 103 mm squares (or larger). Cut each square in half to form triangle and place a spoonful of filling in centre of each triangle. Roll from wide side towards point, twisting the ends to seal. Turn ends to form a crescent. Refrigerate before baking at 450 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. MEAT PASTIES These Meat Pasties can be fried in deep, hot oil or baked in the oven. They have a sweetish flavour from a mixture of tomato soup and raisins with the other ingredients. Makes 8 or 9 pasties. You will need: 350 g shortcrust or flaky pastry 1 cup tomato soup 1 onion 350 g minced steak 2 tablespoons raisins (optional) | cup diced cooked carrot 1 tablespoon butter Salt and pepper Method: Cook the chopped onion and steak in the butter until browned. Add raisins, carrot.

soup and seasoning to taste. Simmer covered for about 30 minutes then continue cooking uncovered until the liquid is absorbed. Roll pastry thinly, especially if flaky pastry is used, and cut into 15cm circles. Place 2 tablespoons of meat mixture on one side of each circle, dampen edges with milk, fold over and pinch or press edges very firmly. Fry in deep, hot oil for 3-4 minutes or put into 400 oven for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and continue cooking until pastry is crisp and lightly browned.