Over the course of the next two weeks, every couple of days I am going to have a go at recipes that I could potentially make with my ration Challenge ingredients when I start this challenge on 13th September. It's a real luxury to have this time ahead of me, as last year I signed up right at the last minute and pretty much winged it. This year I should be able to make a good menu plan and know that barring any mishaps everything on it should work out!!
One thing I was keen to try first after not being able to make it last year ... due to me running out of flour after going mad making flatbreads when I finally got the recipe just right ... was pastry.
Blogging buddy Lesley Negus perfected a technique a couple of years ago and posted about it on her blog HERE. Now I didn't have the recipe in front of me when I set to with my 100g of flour, 50g of oil and a jug of water. But I thought if I treat the oil as though it were a solid fat, use the same ratio of half fat to flour and then gradually add the water it should work out.
And it did, but I think I added a touch too much water as it was a very soft dough. I rested it in the fridge for a while wrapped in flour sprinkled clingfilm to help it firm up enough to use.
And using two sheets of floured clingfilm to help me roll it I then dropped the filling on top of it ... this was some leftover potato, onion and spinach mixture, also a bit sloppy ... I wasn't helping myself much here was I!! I managed to pull the sides of the pastry up and around the filling and plop it unceremoniously over and into a non-stick pie dish.
It came out of the oven after 25 minutes at Gas 6 looking like this, now my only choice was eat it out of the tin or try and get it out of the pie dish.
You can see which option I chose 😄
Now it might not look brilliant, but the taste of that pastry is amazing. The shortest, crumbliest and yet still shortcrust pastry that I have had in a long time. Whether it will appear on the Ration Challenge menu is still to be decided, as I have just learnt of another method of making something that is short and delicious out of exactly the same ingredients.
I feel a comparison bake off coming on.
And as you can see if you nip over for a quick peek or to make a donation, we are doing so well. Already we have raised enough to feed FOUR refugees for an entire year and we are on our way to being able to feed FIVE. How fantastic is that.
Thank you so much for all your donations and encouragement up to now 💓
Sue xx
Oh dear I've done it again, I need to stop reading your posts involving food when I've not had my breakfast as it's 7.30 am Tuesday 11th! I'm drooling at your creation, my last meal on Earth would have to be a pie haha hopefully that's a long way off. Amazing Sue what you were able to create, pastry scares me however I'm keen to try this:) Fantastic to read you have raised enough to feed 5 refugees, absolutely brilliant♥ xx
ReplyDeleteIt's well worth having a go at and is really quick to do ... even at breakfast time :-)
DeleteThe thought of five people being able to eat for a year just because you lovely lot and my family and friends have sponsored me to eat rations for ONE WEEK is amazing.
I am scared of pastry as well. Yours looks very flaky though.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It was the best pastry I have ever tasted. I will have to do it again and try with a tad less water and see if that makes it a bit easier to roll out.
DeleteThe pastry look absolutely Delicious and I look forward to reading about the other method as well. Good to have choices, especially in a situation like that - it gives some control back.
ReplyDeletexx
And even if you are using the same ingredients, if something comes out looking and maybe tasting that little bit different it really is worth doing.
DeleteIt's interesting reading about different ways of making something. I'm glad it was a success.
Delete