Friday 18 May 2012

Friday Feast - Pork and apple pasties

Totally delicious recipe today - using minced pork for a change:
Pork and Apple Pasties

Makes 6

500g pack puff pastry
500g (1lb) good-quality minced pork
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large dessert apple or a small cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
90g (3oz.) Cheddar, or your favourite cheese, cut into dice

To make the filling: Mix the pork, onion, apple, herbs and seasoning, and half the beaten egg in a large bowl

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry thinly and trim to a rectangle 54 x 36 cm (21 x 14 in). Cute (snigger Annie, deliberate mistake, I meant cut!) pastry into 6 equal squares (3 x 2) so that each square is 18cm/7in). Make them15cm (6 in) if you'd rather not roll out pastry to such a large piece. (I used ready rolled puff pastry sheets to take a short cut, lazy girl!)

Divide the filling between the squares, inserting cheese dice, leaving a thumb-width border of pastry. Brush borders with a little of the beaten egg. Pull the pastry corners up to meet in the centre and, using your thumb, press along the edges of the pastry to seal the joins and make square parcels. Put the parcels on to a large, heavy baking sheet, or two baking sheets, and brush with more egg to glaze them. Chill them while the oven heats up to hot. Gas Mark 7 or 220 degrees C.

Bake the pasties for 20 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to moderate, Gas Mark 4 or 180 degrees C and cook them for 10 minutes more, until they are puffed up and golden.

To freeze: cool, pack in poly bags or foil, seal, label and freeze. Use within 1 month. Loosen wrappings. Serve cold or reheat thoroughly and serve hot.


Note: Add a crushed garlic clove and a teaspoon of dried herbs instead of the fresh, or a generous dash of Worcestershire sauce to the filling, if you like.

Things I did: I didn't have fresh thyme so just used a teaspoon of dried. The recipe suggests serving these with salad, and I do think they would make good picnic food. As it was wet and miserable in deepest Hampshire when I made these I defaulted to Jersey Royals and fresh asparagus.

These really are mouthwateringly good, the addition of cheese is like the icing on a cake :)

Enjoy!

Di
x

10 comments:

  1. Nice to see you have CUTE pastry ;-)
    These sound really yummy Di. I have some ready rolled puff pastry just waiting for the job :-)
    Hugs,
    A x

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  2. They look yummy Di and sound very tasty. That's another recipe for my databanks :)

    Hope you are having some nice weather, you aren't missing anything here in cold Blighty.

    Take care xx

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  3. OMG . . . that's TWO mouthwatering recipes I've seen this morning! You're all making me hungry this morning!

    Deffo one to keep for trying out later . . . along with Mrs F's banana cake . . .

    Off to make a coffee now, and eat my mint choc biscuit EARLY! xxx

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  4. That's what I will make with the pork I bought today - they sound fab. Thanks Di. x Jo

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  5. Umm it looks lovely will have to give these a try next week. Paul's on earlies so will get the chance to do some baking. Thanks for the recipe. Hugs Jenny xx

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  6. I love your recipies, they always make me so hungry and i'm determined to try them out. Can almost taste these just by looking at the photo lol :).

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  7. Ok, these looks really great, will give them a try in the near future. Wondering how many flowers you have in your hair at the moment, with all the holiday cocktails.

    Kath x

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  8. Another fabulous dish Di and so nice of you to share them ..........looks delicious!! xx

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  9. Hubbie spotted these this morning and is sat drooling over them, they have two of his favourite things too, pastry and pork lol. Hugs, Amanda x

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