Given all the pie fights on this site today, I thought to myself, "Why not come up with a diary to end all pie wars?" So, here's my diary praising delicious pies, and the delicious recipes that follow which should be posted in trollish diairies :-)
Here's the first one:
Chicken Pasties
chicken hand pies or chicken pasties
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 14 ounce (400mL) can low sodium chicken stock
1 bouillon cube (I actually prefer Better than Bouillon–just use a tablespoon)
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
pastry dough (recipe follows)
1 egg, plus a teaspoon of water, beaten
1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender to the point of a knife. Drain and set aside. While the potatoes cook, set a large skillet over medium low heat and add in the olive oil, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until onions are very tender, about 12-15 minutes.
2. Melt butter into the mixture and stir in flour. Let cook for 2 minutes or so, just to let the flour taste cook out. Pour in about half of the can of chicken stock. Add the bouillon and potatoes. Let simmer a few minutes and taste for flavor. Add salt and pepper if needed. Add in chicken and simmer until cooked through. The mixture should be thick, but not too dry. Add more chicken stock until you achieve the desired consistency (I used the whole can). Store mixture in refrigerator until ready to use (the pies are easier to make if the filling is cold).
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (220 degrees celsius). Place a piece of parchment paper in a baking sheet and set aside. Roll out the pastry dough on a floured board into an 18×22 inch rectangle (don’t measure! just guess). Cut in half, and then cut each half in thirds, to make 6 equal smaller rectangles.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup (about 4 tablespoons) of the chicken mixture onto one of the rectangles of dough, placing it slightly off center. Wet the edges of the dough with a pastry brush and water, and fold the longer end of the pastry up and over the filling. Press the dough down to seal it, and then crimp with the edges of a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Make two incisions in the top of the pastry with a sharp knife, and brush with the beaten egg and water. Repeat with remaining 5 pastries. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.
pastry dough
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 stick (112g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup ice cold water
1. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add in the butter, and pulse a few times until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse meal. Combine the egg and water in a container (remove all ice pieces). While the processor is running, pour the water/egg mixture in and pulse until mixture just comes together.
2. Pour mixture out onto a floured board and knead a few times to bring all the ingredients together. Dough can be rolled out immediately, or it can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Nutella and Banana Galettes
Sweet Pastry Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large or 2 small ripe (but not soft) bananas
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup Nutella
2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts
To make the pastry dough, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has a sandy texture. Add the egg yolks and pulse twice, then add the water and vanilla and pulse a few times to incorporate. Pinch a bit of the dough between your fingers; it should hold its shape without feeling dry. If needed, add another teaspoon or two of water. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set 2 oven racks on the centermost levels.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 14 inches across and 1/8 inch thick (let the dough sit for 10 or 15 minutes if it is too firm to roll right away). Use a 2 3/4-inch round cutter (plain or fluted) to cut rounds from the dough. Arrange them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, switching the pans about halfway through for even cooking. Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer the pastry to a wire rack to fully cool.
Cut the banana into 1/4-inch slices and put them in a bowl with the orange juice. Toss gently to be sure that all slices are fully coated in the juice and let sit a few minutes. Transfer the slices to a piece of paper towel and lightly pat the tops to dry. Top each pastry round with 1 teaspoon of the Nutella and spread it out a bit, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange 2 or 3 banana slices, slightly overlapping, on top of the Nutella. Sprinkle the bananas with chopped hazelnuts and arrange on a platter for serving.
Makes 18 to 20 galettes
Double all the ingredients, making the dough in batches.
Best not to halve. Roll out and use half of the dough, freezing the rest for another time.
Make the dough, wrap well, and refrigerate up to 2 days ahead. Bake and assemble the galettes up to 2 hours before serving.
I love that sense of nirvana that you get when you're served a warm, delicious apple pie with yummy vanilla ice cream on top. That bite you get with the mixture of the hot, crunchy crust, and the cool of the ice cream, is one that you'll never forget. It's that kind of bite that makes you feel like everything is alright with the world.
With that said, enjoy! If you're going to post recipes in trollish diaries, they might as well be delicious recipes!