It would be no surprise to me if about 90 percent of you, upon reading the word “pastry” in this story, have already flipped to a more cook-friendly section of the newspaper.
The restaurant advertisements, perhaps. “What am I making for dinner, my dear? Reservations.”
On the other hand, it might surprise an equal number of you to learn that I sympathize with otherwise capable souls inflicted with the culinary phobia I’ve come to know as The Fear of Making Pastry.
I dealt with the problem for years myself. So I know that it’s not a fear based on an inability to master the art of pie crusts and other such pastry phenomenon.
Hey! There are specialty coffee drink menus more complex than the directions for turning out edible dough.
Nope. I believe most folks’ problem with making pastry is simply a time and mess thing. Making pastry does take time. And your counter ends up looking like the aftermath of the Pillsbury Bake-Off.
But if you can get beyond those pesky issues, then an entire genre of dinner fare will have opened up to you at a time of year when such creations are particularly tasty.
I’m speaking of meat- or vegetable-filled pastries. Savory enclosed pies. Portly pockets.
Indeed, nothing gift-wraps a dish more elegantly than pastry.
Here are a few examples. The first, kraut kunchen, is a worthy dish which I have enjoyed for many years now. It comes by way of Leif Eric Benson, executive chef at Timberline Lodge, Oregon’s historic resort at the base of Mount Hood.
I’m also sharing my piroshki recipe. These mushroom-laden morsels may take a little more effort to prepare than meat loaf, but if you can find the time, you won’t be sorry.
And finally, for those of you not interested in working through your pastry-making issues, but definitely dying to get in on the delicious results, I’ve provided a recipe for calzone that starts with purchased pizza dough. What could be more simple?
There is no excuse NOT to make this delicious pizza pie turned outside-in, where the topping becomes the filling.
Recipes for calzone typically require you to make a pizza dough, which isn’t a big deal, but does demand that you spend time kneading the dough and waiting through a rising or two.
In my version, your only major step is to stop off at your favorite pizza parlor and pick up a glob of already-prepared dough. From there, it’s a breeze.
No-excuses calzone with choice of three fillings
1large glob of pizza dough (available at most local pizza parlors for about $3)
1batch of the filling of your choice (recommendations follow
Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and knead each into a ball. Roll each ball into a circle or oval about 1/4-inch thick. Place a slightly rounded 1/4 cup of filling onto one side of each round (or arrange the appropriate filling ingredients on the dough as directed below), then carefully fold and stretch the other side of the dough over the filling. Crimp the edges firmly with the tines of a fork. Prick it with the fork in a few choice spots around the top, then place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving to let the calzones settle down a bit (they’re very hot!).
Filling: Besides the two recommendations that follow, some popular choices for filling calzone are sauteed Italian sausage and a seasoned tomato sauce, sauteed mushrooms, chopped and sauteed onions and spinach or basil, chopped olives, cooked chicken, shredded cheeses, cooked bacon — basically, if you’ve seen it on a pizza menu, it will taste good in a calzone.
Pesto filling
1/2 to 1cup prepared pesto (homemade or commercially prepared)
2cups ricotta cheese
1cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Combine the ingredients. This is enough filling for six calzones.
Proceed as above for general directions on sealing and baking.
Provolone filling
3tablespoons olive oil
5medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2cup fine bread crumbs
3/4pound provolone cheese, grated
2medium-sized ripe tomatoes, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the oil and garlic in a small dish. Brush each circle of dough with this mixture. Add a little extra oil if you run short.
Sprinkle each round of dough with about 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs, then a handful of cheese. Arrange a tomato slice or two on top; sprinkle with more crumbs, and grind on some black pepper.
Proceed as above for general directions on sealing and baking.
Timberline Lodge kraut kunchen
1cup milk, heated to lukewarm
1/2cup warm water (95 to 100 degrees)
1-1/2teaspoons dry yeast
2teaspoons sugar
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
1teaspoon salt
6tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1-1/4cups ground beef
1/2cup chopped onion
4cups chopped green cabbage
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Maggi seasoning, to taste
About 2 teaspoons chicken base (available in the supermarket spice section)
Sweet Hot Russian mustard (see note below)
Combine the milk and hot water, then sprinkle on the yeast and sugar. Let the mixture sit until it bubbles and foams, 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in 3 cups of the flour, the salt and the butter, then turn out onto a floured board and knead in enough of the remaining flour to achieve a smooth and elastic dough. This should take about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Midway through the cooking, spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the drippings, add the onion, and continue to cook until the onion is tender and transparent. Add the cabbage, pepper, Maggi seasoning and chicken base, stirring to mix well; adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. (Note: The filling may be prepared up to 48 hours ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature to use)
For entree-size portions, divide the dough into six portions. On a floured board with a floured rolling pin, roll out each part into a 10-inch round. Place a heaping 1/2-cup of filling on one half of each round.
For appetizer size portions, divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll out each part into a 5-inch round. Place a heaping 1/4-cup of filling on half of each round.
To seal the rounds, dip your finger into a glass of water or milk and rub the edge. Fold the dough over the filling and seal firmly by pinching or pressing down with the tines of a fork.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until the pastries are a nice golden brown, about 30 minutes for the entree size, 20 minutes for the appetizer size.
Serve hot or chilled with the sweet hot Russian mustard. If you can’t find a good one, stir in about a tablespoon of brown sugar into about 1/2 cup of a good-quality Dijon-style mustard.
Makes six entree servings, 12 appetizer servings.
Executive Chef Leif Erik Benson’s special recipe
Piroshki
1cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2cup (1 cube) well-chilled butter, cut into 12 pieces
4ounces cream cheese
2medium-size white or red new potatoes, unpeeled
2tablespoons butter
1tablespoon vegetable oil
2tablespoons finely minced yellow onion
2shallots, finely minced
3⁄4pound mushrooms, finely minced
1⁄3cup Madeira wine
1⁄2teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1⁄4teaspoon salt
1⁄4teaspoon ground white pepper
About 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Sweet hot Russian mustard for dipping
A good quality German whole-grain mustard for dipping
Place the flour in a food processor. Add the chilled butter pieces and cut into the flour by pulsing until the butter is coarsely chopped. Add the cream cheese and continue to pulse in short, quick spurts until the mixture forms a ball that holds its shape.
With lightly floured hands, on a lightly floured work surface, pat the dough into a round, wrap in plastic and refrigerate about 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Bring the unpeeled potatoes to a boil with water to cover and boil until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and dice enough of the potato into 1⁄4-inch cubes to measure about 1-1⁄2 cups.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and shallots and cook briefly over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all of the liquid that is released from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Once the mushrooms are darkened and dry, add the Madeira, thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick again, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the potatoes, then adjust the seasonings. Let the mixture cool thoroughly before using.
Roll the dough on a floured work surface to about 1⁄4-inch thickness. Cut into 6-inch circles. Continue re-rolling and cutting the scraps to create as many circles as you can. You should end up with about 18 circles.
To fill, place a spoonful of the cooled filling off-center on each circle, moisten the edges of the pastry circles with a bit of water, then fold the circle in half over the filling, pressing the edges together firmly to seal. To create a firm seal, crimp all around the edges with the tines of a fork.
Arrange the piroshki on ungreased baking sheets and brush the tops with the heavy cream. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until golden, about 25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, with the two hearty mustards.
Note: The piroshki may be prepared ahead in two different phases. The filling and dough may be prepared up to 48 hours ahead before proceeding with the filling and baking. Or the piroshki may be prepared, baked, then refrigerated for up to 48 hours ahead of time; reheat in a preheated 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Frozen piroshki should be thawed before reheating.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
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