There is a certain mystique attached to making pastry, and for years, I struggled to get it right. All that stuff about a 'light, cool touch', the crumbling it in your (cool) hands, the 'handling as little as possible', and the 'resting' in the fridge before use. Much of this I've since learnt to ignore (largely out of laziness), but yesterday, I finally cracked it. Perfect pastry (and it really was perfect. I kid you not).
This was my recipe (it needs to be done in a hurry):
1. Measure flour into food processor.
2. Put marge down beside the Aga (or other warm place), expecting it to be there no more than a minute.
3. Suddenly remember the car must be taken to garage for pre-operative assessment for badly damaged wing mirror (due to car being driven, backwards, into unforgiving metal post)
4. Abandon/forget pastry-making, and dash off with car (the news is bad, but that's irrelevant for pastry purposes)
5. Return to continue from stage 2. Discover marge only semi-solid.
6. Measure out marge anyway (not easy, as it slides about)
7. Mix. Add water.
8. Take pastry out. Pastry ball strange-looking, and wet. Realise measured out wrong amount of marge.
9. Throw ball of pastry back in mixer, add more flour and more (warmish) water, and whizz.
10. Immediately (no time for resting) make quiche.
Voila. We had it again for lunch today, and I've never made better pastry.
Excellent. I now buy mine frozen but have in the past made vast quantities by hand, large up to 2kg of flour at a go and no mixer...the restaurant owner liked the artisan touch and he was correct but he didn't have to do all that crumbling. I always let suet crust and short crust rest for an hour. Pate sucre and Puff pastry too.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of rubbish talked about cooking. I never used scales even but just guessed.
I bet that wing mirror was an expensive job.
Adrian, now you're showing off. Who makes puff pastry? Even Delia tells you to buy it.
DeleteThe mirror is going to cost £142.22. My fault, of course. But I do wonder about the 22p...
Just tell him where to put his 22p. My mirrors just jump out and fall down the side of the truck if I clout them. Takes a few 'I'll down our Grandmas Stairs.' And similar expletives to pop them back.
DeleteI make dozens of different pastries. It is an interest I have. I love bread as well. I love kneading and crumbling. It also saves washing my hand they come out sparkling bright after a bread or pastrie session.
Now, was that plain or self raising flour. Maybe that's the answer.
ReplyDeleteMaggie, it should be plain. Only Frances knows.
DeleteNever buy self raising buy plain and a little cream of tarter and add it as required.
Maggie, it was plain. But SR works just as well (take note, Adrian).
DeleteI have Frances. Self raising goes off after a week or so. That's why even Asda sell bicarb of soda and cream of Tarter. There is a demand for it from us that are cognoscenti. Yeast is the best, eggs work but only for pasta. Pasta is Italian for pastry. Sorry it's a hobby I have. Didn't mean to fill your post up.
DeleteWell, that's me told.
DeleteI have used both and a mixture of the two, but Adrian is obviously an expert. I hate scones with too much cream of tartar. Sticks to your teeth, so I tend not to use it.
DeleteI can't make pastry to save my life... maybe I need to try your technique!
ReplyDeleteIt honestly works, Wendy. But you don't have to beat up your car first.
DeleteMy method is foolproof and even quicker; I reach for a pack at the supermarket. Perfect every time!
ReplyDeleteI do that with puff pastry, CM.
DeleteMy mum never used scales or recipes but used to throw it all in the bowl and it came out perfect every time x
ReplyDeleteI trust you leant from her, Teresa?
DeleteThis is my favourite kind of recipe, Frances, and my pastry needs all the help it can get, so I shall be trying it out this weekend. Maybe minus the wing-mirror bit, hopefully.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you, Joanna, for your kind and reasonable reply. What a sensible woman you are. But you're right about the wing mirror. That was bad planning.
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