KITCHEN: POT PIE "PASTY"

hand held pot pie--pasty version with substitutes in dough

Hand Held Pot Pie--Pasty version

     I am fond of chicken pot pie and beef pot pie.  Those that are currently available in the stores...I am not so fond of.  I decided to try to make my own version of a hand-held pot pie using the Cornish pasty as a model. 

•  "Pasties" are connected to Cornwall England and were eaten by miners...The traditional Cornish pasty would have been filled with uncooked skirt steak, potatoes, "swede" (aka rutabaga) and onion.  Also, the bakers of these hand-held lunches placed sweet "pie" like finish at one end of the pie.  Lunch and dessert being baked into one item.  They were made into a "D" shaped half round, not sealed on the top, as this one pictured above is.  There would be a thick sealed crust that served as a "handle"--and initials of the "eater" were often placed on one end, so the "eater" would know which end to start with...meal or dessert.  
• Historically, though, I believe the pasties began as a venison version...and there seem to be plenty of recipes that include other meats, veggies, and fruit versions, pre-dating the Cornish version.

 I chose the following pasty recipe--only I tweaked it with a few changes and substitutions.  (link to the original recipe)
http://www.food.com/recipe/butte-pasty-dough-278820

• 3 1/3 c. flour
• 1 1/3 c. shortening or butter flavored shortening 

 This I changed to:

• 3 1/3 c. flour 
• 1 packet Flax Paks* (ground flax seed)
• 1 TB wheat germ
• 1/2 tsp Vege-Sal (or a celery salt)
• freshly ground pepper (to taste)

 and fat substitution

• 1 1/3 c. mashed avocado and butter combined (about half and half)

Combine the dry ingredients well. Mash a whole avocado and add butter to make up the difference to 1 1/3 cup of "fat".  The avocado could probably be substituted for all the fat, but in the case of desiring a more flaky crust...I chose the butter.  (Though it didn't really make a very flaky crust.)  Proceed by blending the "fat" into the flour with a pastry cutter until it is fine and crumbly.


The original recipe called for quite a bit of liquid, which I prepared, but didn't use nearly what it specified.

• one egg, whisked
• 1 TB white vinegar
• 1/2 TB sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• cold water--enough to bring the liquid to one cup.

I did make this preparation, but did NOT need nearly that much of it to moisten the flour enough to form a dough.  I don't think I used more than half of this mixture, since the avocado has a measure of moisture to it, besides the fat.  

This dough recipe was supposed to make TWELVE large pasties...I was only able to manage EIGHT, and I felt that I probably should have rolled the dough out a little thicker than I did.

Another "misjudgement" I made was in the time it would take to bake the pasties.  Silly me, I thought that since I had already pre-cooked the filling, that it would NOT take a full hour for the pastry to bake...WRONG.  I was doing a face palm when I realized how over-done the filling must be!  Though the results were not exactly what I was desiring, I can see that if I continue to tweak the recipe, I may end up with what I am going for.

To make the filling prepare 

• carrots and celery, diced small
• 2 TB olive oil

If you are using onions, then dice and add those together with the carrots and celery into a heavy soup pot, bringing them to a sweat, and beginning the browning process.  Since I used leeks instead, they tend to burn and develop a "bitterness" if you try to brown them too much.  I added the leeks after the carrots and celery were browned.

• boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (raw) diced (small chunks)

Stir in raw chicken meat (breast would work fine too).  Brown it and season with

• salt
• pepper
• poultry seasoning
• garlic

 stirring all the while to make sure it doesn't burn!  
Add

• 4 cups chicken stock or broth

Allow the meat and veggies to cook--although when I do this again, I certainly will not cook them 'til tender, since they will have more cooking time in the oven.


It is important to STRAIN the stock/broth off and allow the chicken and veggies to cool since this type of recipe does NOT call for gravy to be baked into it...you can use the liquid to make a gravy to pour of the top of it.  If you try to put a hot filling into the dough you will have a mess!!    I added a little milk and thickened the stock with a flour and water mixture to make the gravy.

After "resting" your dough for at least 15-20 minutes in the fridge--wrapped in plastic.  Divide your dough into eight balls, and cover in plastic, rolling out one ball at a time.  I used a dessert or salad plate to measure.  (About 8 inches)

I had seen another pasty recipe that sealed the dough at the top, and decided that although it wasn't a traditional finish, it worked best for me.  (You can use a thinner crust if you seal it on top.)

Place the drained and cooled filling on the center of the round and pull up the edges, fold and crimp the edges.  Seal well.  Brush with an egg wash.  Poke a few holes to let out the steam.  Place  four on a baking sheet and set in a moderately hot oven.  I tried 375°, but I think I could have set mine at 400° and cut down the baking time.  Start with the cooler oven, though.  It still took an hour to bake these.

When they come out of the oven, you can smother them in that wonderful gravy!!


These froze very well, the gravy didn't freeze as well.  Taste was fine, just didn't look as nice...a little lumpy!

You can see the little ice crystals from being frozen!

Great to keep these on hand!

*These are handy little packets that keep the milled flax seeds ready for use--and it stays fresh.  Ground flax seeds often go rancid...this way you are good to go!  Sprinkle on cereal or into baked goods--a little goes a LONG WAY!

http://www.carringtonfarms.com/Flax-Products/Flax-Paks.php 

Kitchen: CHEST FREEZER ORGANIZATION SOLUTION

My chest type freezer is a huge money saving asset, but it is an older one and there is only one small basket, with no dividers…creating havoc for ever FINDING anything when you want it. 
Things get lost in that great cavern of cold.  I have tried crates and boxes and systems, with no great results. 
If you are short, (like me),  trying to reach things on the bottom can result in basically standing on your head and extending your arm beyond it’s normal reach. 
I have been pondering how to solve these situations--and I THINK I am on my way.

Mesh Laundry or Stow bags!!

I had been in a dollar store a few weeks ago and noticed a large selection of various colored mesh laundry bags.  I needed to replace my husbands stow bags for camping, so I bought two in a dark green.  He told me he only needed one, so I had an “extra”.
I thought I would just put it back for later use, as it only cost a dollar.

Shortly thereafter, I was standing on my head, trying to locate a roast I wanted to get out of the freezer…but had to keep taking out stuff--which kept falling over in the way--
I was uncomfortable, letting all the cold air out, and generally frustrated!

Suddenly, the idea of using that extra mesh bag came to mind.  I retrieved that extra bag and placed all the pork products in it.  Hmmm……that seems like it might work.  The store had offered a wide variety of bags when I was there last, so I decided to purchase based on color coding.  Orange for cheese, pink for pork, light green for frozen veggies….etc.

Well, I waited too long, I guess, as when I returned to make my purchase, there were only one orange and one more dark green, and quite a few white mesh bags.  I was disappointed in the lack of colors, but sorting the items in the freezer was of the utmost importance, so I brought home what they had.

All the chicken went in one bag, all the ground beef in another, game meats in yet another.  The bright orange for the cheese was very helpful.  I will watch to see if the dollar store gets in some more colored mesh bags, so I can use the color code system.

When the freezer is less full, crates can be placed upside down, to raise the bottom of the freezer.

Even if you have a newer freezer, with all those great dividers, you still have to stand on your head and remove all the stuff to get at the things on the bottom, so this would help in that case too.
 
My mother has an up right freezer, but still things would get lost or buried in there.
She is using some mesh bags made for use in suitcases that have zippers, to organize her freezer.  Those small little packages don’t hide from her anymore!

Both of us are working on a system of recording what is in each bag--something that doesn’t require a written list, but that can be changed easily as things are purchased or used.

I’m thinking about some sort of plastic tags identifying what is in the freezer:

• hamburger
• roast
• steak
• whole chicken
• chicken breast
• fish
• etc.

Whatever I end up with has to be easily done--both for putting into, and taking out of, the system; so I don’t end up having another kitchen chore that I get “behind” on and then makes no sense.  I want to be able to take advantage of sales, but don’t want to “over-buy” something either.

I could make some tags using plastic from milk or water jugs, write on them with waterproof marker, and hang them on a shower curtain ring and attach them to each bag…OR I may put the info on a card and keep it in a file box…but will I keep that up?
Not sure…will have to keep thinking about this…and try a few of the ideas…throwing out what doesn’t work.

So this is my “work in progress” solution for organizing my chest freezer…I’ll let you know how things proceed from here!