Ouma's Puff Pastry
Almost every time I tried making puff pastry, it flopped.
After trying numerus recipes, I thought of giving up the ghost, until I picked up a recipe book my daughter had given me as a gift a few years ago, called "Karoo Kitchen" compiled by "Sydda Essop".
I started reading, and became enthralled in the lives of the people of the Great Karoo, bringing back lovely memories of my grandmother who came from that part of the world.
The Karoo is the heart of South Africa, where the Khoisan and Xhosa people originate from. The Dutch, British and French, Portuguese, Indian and Jew settlers, despite the harsh climate of the region and the social economic conditions, settled there and made the Karoo their home.
For the past two hundred years these beautiful diverse people of the Karoo, have used and passed their knowledge of recipes and healing remedies down from generation to generation and culture to culture, embracing the richness of different cultures in the region.
Paging through the different recipes and reading about the people who created them, I came across "Ouma's Karoo Lamb Pie" Recipe. I never had lamb, so I used chicken instead for the filling. After all, I wanted a "Puff Pastry" recipe.
So I am using "Ouma's Karoo Lamb Pie" pastry recipe, (From the book "Karoo Kitchen" by Sydda Essop.
Puff Pastry Recipe
- 250G Flour - pinch of salt
- 180G Butter, cut into small cubes
- Cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 egg beaten with a little chilled water
To make the pastry: Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, then add enough water to form a soft dough. Roll out to a rectangle measuring 15cm x 25 cm.
Dot the top two thirds of the rectangle with one third of the butter cubes.
Fold the bottom third over the middle third of the pastry. Bring the other third on top, then seal the edges with your fingertips. Turn the dough 90 degrees to the left.
Roll out again, and repeat the process until the butter is finished.(You may have to chill the pastry for 15 minutes in between each roll)
Before using pastry, allow to chill for 30 minutes.
Roll pastry into ball, rap in plastic-wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
Filling for Pie
1 Small whole chicken
2 cloves Garlic
Small button mushrooms and cup of peas
Half a pkt onion soup to thicken sauce
Boil chicken, once cooked, pull meat off bone
Fry onion and Garlic, add peas and mushroom stir and cook for a few minutes, then add chicken and cup of water, add soup to thicken, cook for about 10 minutes, on low heat, then let cool.
Pour filling into pie dish, roll out pastry and cover the pie dish then brush the egg and water over the pastry and bake in oven on 180 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
At last I have mastered the making of "Puff Pastry" thanks to Ouma from the Karoo Kitchen.
I hope you like my Recipe from Karoo Kitchen as much as I did.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share it with you.
@artywink@artywink