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SW_VER_E1_280408_p10 C M Y K
10
angela day
MONDAY APRIL 28 2008
The Star
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COURGETTE AND FETA TART
BROCCOLI AND CHICKEN QUICHE
Serves 4
1 x 25cm pastry crust,
baked blind
1 onion, finely chopped
2ml curry powder
200g cooked chicken,
finely chopped
200g broccoli,
cooked and chopped
5 extra large eggs
150ml milk
300ml cream
15ml mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
125ml grated cheddar
cheese
Heat oil in a saucepan
and lightly fry onion and
curry powder for one
minute. Cool.
Spoon onion mixture
onto pastry base. Top
with the chicken and
broccoli.
Combine eggs, milk,
cream and mayonnaise,
season to taste and pour
over chicken and
broccoli.
Sprinkle over grated
cheese and bake at 180°C
for 30 to 40 minutes.
Serves 4-6
23cm square pastry crust, baked blind
4-6 courgettes,depending on size,
thinly sliced
15ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of one lemon
5ml finely grated lemon rind
1 egg
100ml cream
150g feta cheese, crumbled
extra olive oil
balsamic vinegar
handful mint leaves
Make pastry and roll it to fit a
fluted 25cm square loosebottomed quiche pan. Prick well
with a fork and bake blind.
Place courgettes in a bowl and
add salt and pepper, oil, lemon
juice and rind. Toss well to coat.
Layer courgettes neatly on the
pastry. Lightly beat the egg and
cream and pour over courgettes.
Bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes.
Top with feta cheese and mint
leaves.
Serve drizzled with extra olive
oil and balsamic vinegar.
Serve warm or at room
temperature.
RECIPE PICTURES: JENNIFER BRUCE
MAIN PICTURE: AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY
Use shortcrust pastry
to make these
delectable dishes
BERRY TARTS
8 x 8cm individual pastry cases, baked blind
Pastry cream:
300ml milk
125ml castor sugar
4 egg yolks
30ml flour
30ml cornflour
60ml lemon juice
grated rind of one lemon
500g mixed fresh berries (raspberries,
strawberries)
125ml apricot jam, warmed
To make pastry cream, place milk in a
saucepan and bring to the boil.
Beat sugar and yolks in a bowl with
an electric beater until thick and creamy.
Add flour and cornflour, and mix well.
Pour hot milk onto egg yolk mixture,
mixing well. Beat in lemon juice and
rind. Return to heat and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer one minute.
Remove from heat, cover with baking
paper and leave to cool. (Covering with
paper helps prevent a skin forming.)
Spoon pastry cream into pastry cases
and top with fresh berries. Brush with
warmed apricot jam to give a shiny
glaze.
Pastry making can be
quite a challenge and
many cooks reach
immediately for the
frozen, ready-made
kind. In the third of
her baking tutorials,
Angela Day tells you how to make the
perfect shortcrust pastry at home. By
following this step-by-step guide, you
will be well on your way to producing
melt-in-the-mouth tarts and pies.
HOW TO MAKE
SHORTCRUST
THE
PASTRY
JOY OF
BAKING
PART 3
BAKING
BLIND
Baking blind simply
means pre-baking the
pastry of a pie or tart
before spooning in
the filling.
Baking a pastry
shell beforehand
ensures a crisp,
evenly-cooked crust
which won’t be soggy
and undercooked
once the filling is in.
Dry beans are
usually placed on top
of the dough so it
stays flat during
cooking.
It’s an easy step
that can result in
pastry perfection.
here are many different kinds of
pastry, and you have no doubt
enjoyed baked dishes made with
phyllo, puff and choux pastry.
Shortcrust pastry is the kind most
often used as a base of a tart or pie. A
leavening agent isn’t used and so it
doesn’t puff up during baking.
The “short” in the name refers to
T
“shortening”, a fat in semi-solid form
such as butter, margarine or lard.
Essentially, shortcrust pastry is
made by rubbing chilled fat into flour
to create a loose, crumbly mixture that
is then bound using a little cold water.
To ensure the pastry is well-cooked
and light, most recipes call for blind
baking it before adding the filling.
STEP 1:
STEP 3:
Roll the pastry out to
5mm thick on a lightly
floured work surface.
Using the rolling pin
as a support, lay the
rolled pastry over the
top of the tart pan.
Cover the raw pastry
shell with non-stick
baking paper and fill
with dried beans.
This ensures the
pastry retains its
shape while being
cooked.
STEP-BY-STEP PICTURES:
ESSENTIAL BOOK OF BAKING
STEP 2:
STEP 4:
Gently press the pastry
into place so that it fits
snugly into the tin.
Trim to fit and prick
base and sides with a
fork. Chill 30 minutes in
fridge before baking.
Place tin on a baking
tray and bake at
180°C for 10 minutes.
Remove from
oven and set aside
the paper and beans.
Return the crust to
the oven for a
further 5-10 minutes.
Store in airtight
container or freeze.
The pastry case can be
frozen at this stage if
desired.
SMARTEN UP YOUR MUFFINS WITH RAMA IDEA
Are you faced with the challenge of what
to put in lunchboxes? Try this healthy
muffin, spread with Rama Idea and top
with cheese or jam.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
and mix well. Stir in cake fruit mix and
dates.
Check the date of the flour. Stale flour does not
make the best pastry.
Ensure that the ingredients are measured exactly
before you begin.
Work quickly and handle the dough as lightly as
possible. Overworking the dough promotes the
formation of gluten strands, which results in a hard,
chewy texture, such as you get with bread or pizza
dough. Shortcrust pastry needs to be light.
Gluten is less likely to develop if you ensure the
flour granules are well coated with the butter – they
should look like coarse breadcrumbs – before adding
the liquid.
When rolling out the pastry, roll in one direction
only. Turn the pastry, not your rolling pin. Turn the
pastry 45 degrees and roll again in the same
direction, continuing until the desired size is
reached.
Too much water also promotes gluten
development. It will make the pastry sticky and
difficult to roll and, when baked, will shrink more
and be hard.
SHORTCRUST PASTRY BY HAND
This quantity of pastry is enough to make 2 x 20cm
pastry cases. If you intend to make only one tart,
quiche or pie, divide the pastry in half and freeze the
other half for later.
500ml flour
pinch salt
150g butter, chilled and cubed
60-80ml iced water
15ml lemon juice
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the butter.
Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips
only, lifting the mixture as you go to incorporate air.
Combine the water and lemon juice, and
gradually add to the dry ingredients. (The lemon
juice encourages the gluten to relax.)
With a knife, start bringing the dough together by
cutting and turning to make it begin to cling
together. Once this happens, discard the knife and
bring the dough together with your fingertips.
Add a little more water if needed. All the bits of
flour and fat should be incorporated. Knead lightly.
Wrap in clingfilm and place in fridge for 30
minutes. Use as required.
USING A FOOD PROCESSOR
Place the flour into the bowl of a food processor and
add butter and a pinch of salt. Process until mixture
resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add 50ml-80ml chilled water and process until the
mixture begins to come together.
Gather up the dough and knead lightly on a
lightly floured surface until smooth
SHORTCRUST PASTRY VARIATIONS
Wholesome Bran Muffins
Makes about 30
250ml wholewheat flour
375ml cake flour
500ml bran
5ml salt
10ml bicarb
250ml mixed cake fruit
250ml chopped dates
500ml milk
125ml oil
375ml soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Mix together milk, oil, sugar and
eggs. Pour into dry ingredients and mix
well.
Spoon into an airtight container and
keep in refrigerator for an hour or
overnight (this mixture will keep for up to
three weeks).
Spoon into well-greased muffin pans
and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve spread with Rama Idea and
your favourite jam, or even top with
cheese.
SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY: Add 80ml castor sugar
after rubbing in the butter.
COCONUT: Add 60ml desiccated coconut after
rubbing in the butter. You may also need a little
extra cold water to mix.
CITRUS: Add finely grated lemon or orange rind to
the flour.
NUTTY: Add 60ml toasted ground almonds or
hazelnuts after rubbing in the butter.
BE PREPARED
Keep a supply of ready-made pastry in the freezer
ready to be used. Roll pastry out between two sheets
of lightly floured baking paper, roll up and pop into
the freezer. Pastry can freeze for 3 months.
Make sure the pastry is completely thawed before
using. If using frozen raw pastry shells, they can be
baked from frozen.