Herb Prawn Pasty

I brought these delicious appetizers to a cocktail party last night and they were a real hit..  very very delicious!

Herb Prawn Pasty

Filling
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 gloves garlic
300-400g prawns - cooked
1 cup shallots - diced small
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 tbsp. dill  (cilantro works well too if fresh dill is not available)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup white wine to deglaze if cooking prawns

If using raw prawns, rinse prawns well under cold water, drain and put into a food processor. If already cooked simply add the cooked prawns to the food processor.
Pulse until the prawns are chopped up into even chunks. 
Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ If a food processor is not available the prawns can be diced using a sharp knife. This takes a little longer but it works fine for this recipe
Dice shallots until small diced (brunoise) and sauté until just tender. 
Add prawns. Continue to cook until the prawns turn pink if using fresh prawns.
Deglaze with white wine and allow to reduce by half.
Add salt & pepper, dill and cream. Stir well until the cream cheese melts and it is incorporated.
Place in a container with a lid, refrigerate until needed. 

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥It is easier to fill a pasty with a cold filling. If the filling is hot it is hard to handle and it will melt the pastry.


Preheat oven to 375°.

Roll out pastry (see pastry recipe below) until very thin keeping your board well floured.

Cut out 3-4 inch rounds.

Mix together 1 egg and milk and beat well with a fork. This is your egg wash for the top and to seal the edges.

Brush the edges of the round with the egg wash.
Take one round pastry cutout at a time and place 1 tbsp. mixture into the center. 

Fold pastry round in half and carefully seal the edges by pinching the pastry together.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Egg wash each pasty before going into the oven.

Bake until pastry is golden brown approximately 20 minutes.

Serve hot with a Yogurt Dill Dip (please go to http://cookinguncovered.blogspot.ca/2017/02/dill-yogurt-dip.html for a complete recipe)

Half Recipe:
Ingredients:

1/2 lb. cold shortening (butter or lard can substitute for vegetable shortening)
2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1 small egg
2 tbsp. vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar but any vinegar will do)
1/2 cup + of ice cold water 
Add all the liquids together to get 1 cup of liquid.  You may not use the entire cup but depending on your flour & shortening you might.

   

1.    Cut up shortening into smaller cubes. 
2.  Add dry  ingredients and shortening to a large mixing bowl.
3.  Cut shortening up into the flour mixture until the shortening has been almost completely incorporated and the shortening is pea size.

3.    Combine vinegar and egg in a liquid measure cup. Beat with a fork. Add required amount of cold water to vinegar/egg mixture.  Whisk well to blend.

4. Add 3/4 of the egg liquid to the flour/shortening and combine with a fork or a mixer.  Careful not to over mix at this stage or your pastry will become tough. Gently form into a ball with your hands. If you find it too dry, add a little more of the egg liquid until the pastry comes together and can be formed into a ball.  

5.     Gently press the dough into a flat disc and wrap in parchment paper and store in the fridge to cool until needed.

Full Recipe

1 Lb. vegetable shortening - cold

5 Cups all- purpose Flour

2 Tsp. Salt

3 Tbsp. Vinegar  (apple cider or white wine vinegars work well) 

1 Egg 

Cold water (approx. 3/4 cup)

You will need a total of 1 1/4 cups of fluid so here is how we make up the fluid. Add one egg to a 2 cup measure. Beat with a fork. Add vinegar and whisk again. Then add the cold water  and bring the combined fluid up to 1 1/4 cups.  You may not need all this liquid, but sometimes you do depending on the moisture content of the flour and shortening.

Prep: 

Mix together flour, salt. Whisk together to remove the lumps.

Add shortening to the flour mixture and cut up shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter (see photo to the right).

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ I now realize after making pastry for so many years that the flakiness of your pastry is directly correlated with how well your shortening is cut into the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter helps with this process. The shortening should disappear into small chunks while keeping the flour powdery.

Prepare liquid and add 90% of the liquid to the flour mixture. Combine the liquid until it is incorporated and the pastry starts to come together into a ball. Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will be tough. Continue to mix with your clean hands and if it is too dry add the rest of the liquid.

Roll dough up into a disc and wrap in parchment paper and then in a clean plastic bag and store in cooler until needed.