Vote 1 Pastry

For just a moment yesterday I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to pull this party off.

The idea was simple.  A park, some pies, and a party – the variable was always going to be the weather.  With a one o’clock scheduled kick-off the black clouds looming at noon were not a welcome sight.

There was a brief deluge, a sudden drop in temperature, and more than a little colourful language from me in the kitchen.  Happily, the skies cleared quickly and even though it was a bit on the breezy side, the little park at the back of the house was a perfect spot for some reclining in the late winter sunshine.

Thanks to everyone who came along for your support of the Party Pie Party and of the Guerilla Dinners concept.

It will be some time before I try and cater a party with pastry-based dishes, but I’m looking forward to building on the success of yesterday’s little gathering and bring you another opportunity to get together with friends, and some strangers at another Guerilla Dinner very soon. Be sure to sign up to receive my regular newsletter to hear about the next Guerilla Dinner.

My favourite pie on the day was a flaky rough puff pastry skin filled with a gently spiced Butter Chicken curry.
This is the recipe for the pastry. For the secret to the filling you can visit the recipe page simply by clicking here.

Pastry, is wonderful.
Sweet or savoury, anything presented with a crisp and flaky pastry shell is pretty much impossible to beat.
A crunchy lid magically transforms a leftover casserole into a delicious pot pie.
A lovely buttery envelope of pastry folded around the well-drained contents of a tin of peaches makes a dessert anyone would be proud to offer up any night of the week.

Rough Puff Pastry

Ingredients
250grams plain flour
pinch of salt
250grams cold butter
150ml iced water
extra flour to dust the bench

large mixing bowl
vegetable grater
rolling pin or a clean bottle

Method
In a large bowl combine flour and salt.
Use the vegetable grater to grate the butter into the flour mixture.
The grater makes the butter easier to deal with and easier to rub into the flour.
Using your finger tips rub the butter and flour together until roughly combined.  There should still be some streaks of butter visible here and there.
Add half of the iced water and mix well, add the water a little more at a time until the dough has just come together.
Put the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes to rest.

Sprinkle a little flour onto a clean bench and turn the pastry out of the bowl.
Sprinkle a little more flour onto the pastry and onto your rolling pin (or bottle) so it doesn’t stick to the pastry, and gently roll the pastry out into a rough rectangle shape.
To help the pastry become flaky and puff up, you need to start folding.
Fold the pastry in half and give it a quarter turn on the bench.
Roll it out into a rectangle again, fold and turn.
Do this two or three more times, dusting gently with flour now and again to prevent sticking.
Wrap the pastry in some plastic and place it back in the fridge for about 20 minutes before using it to top your pie.

Bake in a 180 degree Celsius oven 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.