The Startup Cook – Easy Pastry Filling
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It has been a while since I boarded the culinary ship, and on this journey I have gained a vast knowledge on food and how to prepare it. One such discovery, courtesy an episode of Rachel Khoo’s the Little Paris Kitchen was Béchamel Sauce. This is perhaps one of the most important cooking lessons I have been educated on.
A Béchamel Sauce is a delicious white sauce perfect for pies, casseroles and pasta. But more importantly it makes for an ideal pastry filling. Having discovered Vol-au-vent cases in the supermarket, it was only a matter of making a solid stuffing and the obvious choice of base was a Béchamel Sauce. It’s thick in texture, rich, creamy and somewhat cheesy in taste and takes only a few minutes to conjure.
Thus coupling the wonders of Béchamel Sauce with a few years of experience, this pastry filling recipe was developed by me. It’s very hearty, flavoursome and a convenient make, a perfect and delicious match for your readymade pastry.
Ingredients
120g of (minced) Chicken
40 g of parsley
1 ½ cups of milk
3 tbs of butter
3 tbs of flour
4 spring onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 potato
1 carrot
½ lime
Paprika
Oregano
Sage
Salt
Pepper
Oil
Directions
Wash the chicken and place it in a bowl.
Juice the lime over the chicken, add two teaspoons of paprika, oregano, one teaspoon of pepper, half a teaspoon of salt and sage to it and leave it to marinade.
Wash and peel the spring onions, carrot and potato.
Fine dice the spring onions, grate the carrot and cut the potato in to minuscule cubes.
Peel and mince the garlic.
Wash and fine dice the parsley and set it aside.
Pour a tablespoon of oil in to the saucepan, add the potato to it with a teaspoon of salt and fry on a medium high flame.
Once the potato has fried, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
Pour half teaspoon of oil in to saucepan, add the garlic to it and fry on a medium high flame.
Then add the chopped spring onions to it and sauté for few seconds.
Dump the minced chicken in to the sauté, add a teaspoon of paprika, pepper and half a teaspoon of salt and cook on a low flame for ten minutes.
Once the chicken has cooked take it out off the flame and set it aside to cool.
Add the butter to a saucepan and melt it on a low flame.
Then add the flour to it and stir until a roux (thick paste) has formed.
While whisking, carefully pour the milk in to the pan.
Add two teaspoons of oregano, one teaspoon of pepper, half teaspoon of sage and salt.
Briskly whisk the sauce until it starts to thicken up.
Once the Béchamel sauce has somewhat thickened, add the chicken, grated carrot, fried potato and chopped parsley to it.
Cook for a few minutes until all the elements have combined well.
Take it off the heat and let it cool before filling it in to the pastries.
Disasters, Warnings and Tips
These ingredients are sufficient to fill 24 Vol-au-vent cases.
Béchamel Sauce – my new best friend.
I don’t understand most of these cabinet appointees. I will miss the Sugar Industries portfolio though.
For a purely vegetarian option - skip the chicken and add some boiled and chopped green peas instead.
The fried potato is to add a little bite to the filling; you can of course use boiled potato instead.
I used olive oil for this recipe. Extra virgin obviously.
Feel free to use a teaspoon of mustard to flavour the sauce. I know I did.
Margarine is a fine substitution for butter.
In a few months it will be Christmas. Time needs to slow down a bit.
The combination of butter and flour is called a Roux.
By Shazzana Hamid
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