Filo makes specially light pastry

Press, 27 September 1989, Page 16

Filo makes specially light pastry

Filo is fun! Although it costs more than regular bought pastry, if you organise yourself enough to plan a few filo based products over a week or so, you can finish up with several light crunchy filo wrapped foods that disintegrate in your mouth in a very satisfying way. Make, for example, a filo-crusted quiche like this, make individual rectangular, filo wrapped parcels, then make filo “money bags” where you gather up the corners of squares of filo, tie them with chives or bacon rinds, and bake them.

If you can’t buy nice fresh easily-worked filo, use home-made short pastry, or Margaret’s flaky pastry to make the crust, instead. For 1 20 cm quiche you need 4 sheets Filo pastry 50g butter

3 small leeks (approx 450 g) y 2 cup water 1 clove garlic, chopped 3 eggs 1 cup grated tasty cheese 1 (150 g tub reduced cream y 4 cup milk y t tsp salt Take 4 sheets of filo pastry out of its packet, then return the rest and seal it so that it is airtight, straight away. Melt the butter, and

brush a little of it over half of each sheet, then fold the unbuttered half over the buttered part, so each piece is almost square. Arrange the sheets on top of each other so that the corners are not overlapping, in a 20cm pie plate. -The edges of the pastry should form a frilly edging. • Slice and wash the leeks carefully. Use only the inner parts of the upper leaves. Cut the slices about smm thick.

Put the leeks, and the finely chopped garlic to cook in the remaining butter for 2 to 3 minutes, without letting them brown, then add the water, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the leek is tender. At the end of this time, raise the heat and evaporate the rest of the liquid. Remove from the heat then stir in the eggs, cheese, reduced cream, milk and salt. Stir with a fork until mixed. Add a little fresh dill, chervil, or tarragon if you have, annd like these herbs, then pour the mixture carefully into the prepared crust. Bake at 180 C until the filling is set in the centre, and the pastry edging is light brown. If the centre has not browned much, sprinkle with chopped herbs and/or paprika before serving, if desired. Serve warm, from the pie plate.

Alison Hoist’s Food Facts