Pasty Pie

[ORChick]

Rutabegas, yeah, good stuff - in chunks, with olive oil and herbs, and roasted in the oven (most roots are good that way). My dear friend, Canadian by birth, considers mashed rutabegas (although she calls them turnips) an essential part of Thanksgiving dinner - though her U.S. born children aren't so sure. When in doubt, I always say, mix them up with potatoes - either roasted together, or mashed up together - and it will probably end up quite palatable.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

For those of you not keen on turnips you should try this recipe as it is delicious. I know the combination sounds a bit odd but it works well.

http://www.ooffoo.com/listing/Savoury-Sauteed-Pears-and-Turnips.aspx

Incidentally I think it would make a wonderful filling for a vegetarian pasty

Hattie

 

[kcsunshine]

Okay, I'm making pasty pies for supper tonight. It snowed like crazy today. I thought we were going to be covered up. Then it quit and now it's gone............ But still a cold day and good for pasty pies.

 

[xpc]

I made a few more the other night and used hot Italian sausage and they were good. I didn't have turnips or rutabagas and tried radish instead, made no difference to me.

 

[kcsunshine]

Mine are smelling heavenly. Hubby is hidden out in the back room of his shop exercising...... Wait 'til he opens the back door

 

[freemotion]

Any one have any tips on keeping the pastry crust light and flaky.. Mine always come out tough and chewy.

ON

If you use a regular pie dough recipe, the two main keys to flaky pastry dough are not overworking the dough, and keeping everything cold.

The flakiness is caused by bubbles created by the fat globs....if you overwork the dough, the fat gets too small to create the flakiness. If everything is warm, the fat melts and there are no globs. Lard works best for this.

Cut the lard into the flour until the size of peas, then mix in ice cold water just enough to moisten everything. Let it sit for a few minutes for some gluten to form for easier rolling, then roll it quickly and lightly.

Use pastry flour for best results, as this is low gluten and doesn't stick together like high-gluten bread flour does. This is why cookies, biscuits, and pie dough are crumbly and bread sticks together. You also knead bread dough and let it sit to rise for hours, which forms more gluten bonds to hold it together an support the bubbles which make it light and fluffy, but not so crumbly that it falls apart.

 

[freemotion]

For a really tasty pasty, use cold bacon grease for all or part of the shortening....yum!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

These Russian 'piroshki' look like pasties to me........!!


http://tanyasgarden.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipes


from Hattie (who has flu.......!!! )

 

[Organics North]

Thanks for the tips freemotion..
Will try that next time.

For now I just got a big batch of Pasties while in Ontonagon MI. The diner at the end of main street makes a fine Pastie!
ON

 

[kcsunshine]

Ooooo Hattie, hope you're feeling better. I think I've got enough movement back in my rotator cuff to give you a big hug.