Puff, the magic pastry
I once made puff pastry from scratch. That's why I now buy it at the store.
When done right, puff pastry is almost supernatural. You take a thin, flat piece of dough, bake it, and it puffs up into a work of art many times its original size, with hundreds of the thinnest, flakiest, most delicate layers of pastry suspended ethereally in its buttery goodness.
Making it at home takes time, dedication and not an inconsiderable amount of effort. So I take the store-bought shortcut in the freezer section of the local grocery store.
Once you get it, what can't you do with it? It's good for sweet dishes and for savory, you can use it for appetizers and desserts, and Beef Wellington just wouldn't be Beef Wellington without it.
I could not have been happier about the way these recipes turned out and the store-bought puff pastry made making them easy.
I started with chicken pot pie, because I have fond memories of eating it at the Walnut Room in a Chicago Marshall Field's store. It was, in my memory, the best chicken pot pie I had ever had. I liked it so much I bought the Marshall Field's cookbook just for the recipe.
I was a little daunted by the calories, and disappointed that the published recipe appeared to leave out a number of ingredients.
But I made it, and I added the missing ingredients. Now the pot pie is back to being one of the best I have ever had.
The secret is that it uses a velouté sauce. You simply stir together melted butter and flour, and slowly add hot chicken stock until you get a sauce that is rich and velvety.
The delicate puff pastry on top is just icing on the cake.
Next up were the pretzels made with puff pastry: Puffzels. They are lighter in texture than you might expect, but they are also heavier because of a surprise lurking inside the dough. Stuffed with cheese, sausage and a smear of mustard, they are hearty and utterly delicious.
Puff pastry is a natural for desserts. You'll find countless recipes online. Filling or topping the pastry with fruit, nuts, chocolate or something delightfully creamy will make you puff up with pride.
Yield: 4 servings½ (17.3-ounce) package (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry, thawed and unfolded5 tablespoons butter, divided¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour5 cups chicken broth, heated and divided½ teaspoon salt, if needed1 pound chicken breast meat, cooked¼ cup leek (white part), washed and sliced thin½ cup carrots, cut in ¼-inch dice½ cup cooked peas (frozen is fine)1 (8.75-ounce) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained and rinsedPreheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Use the individual casseroles you will be serving the pot pies in as you would a cookie cutter to cut out circles of puff pastry dough (if you won't be able to get all 4 out of a single sheet of pastry dough, roll it out first with a rolling pin until the dough is large enough to accommodate all 4 circles).Place circles on prepared baking sheet and bake until the pastries turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.Melt 4½ tablespoons of the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Gradually add 3 cups of the hot chicken broth, whisking constantly. Cook until velvet-smooth and the flour taste has disappeared. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Set aside and keep warm.Dice the chicken into ½-inch cubes and keep moist and hot in the remaining 2 cups hot chicken broth. Set aside.Melt the remaining ½ tablespoon butter in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and carrots and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the peas and corn and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.Add the vegetables to the sauce and stir in the pieces of hot chicken (reserve the stock for a future use). Divide this filling among 4 individual casseroles, top each one with a circle of puff pastry, and serve immediately.Adapted from “Marshall Field's Gourmet: A Taste of Tradition”
Yield: 6 servings1 tablespoon poppy seeds1 tablespoon sesame seeds1 teaspoon garlic powder or dried, minced garlic½ teaspoon onion powder or dried, minced onion¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper1 egg2 tablespoons German-style mustard2 tablespoons all-purpose flour½ (17.3-ounce) package (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry, thawed2 cups shredded muenster cheese7 ounces smoked pork or turkey sausage or kielbasa, coarsely chopped, about 1½ cupsPreheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl, beat the egg and mustard with a fork.Sprinkle some of the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 3 strips along the fold marks, then cut each strip in half lengthwise, making 6 strips in all.Roll each pastry strip into a 16-by-3-inch rectangle (this will be easier if you begin rolling lengthwise). Brush half of each strip, lengthwise, with the egg mixture (reserve any remaining), then top with about 1/3 cup cheese and about 1/4 cup sausage.Starting on the side with the filling, roll up the pastry to form a long rope, pinching the ends and seams to seal. Shape the rope into a pretzel shape (not too tight — it will need space to puff), brushing a bit of egg mixture on the ends to help them stick. Place on the prepared baking sheet.Brush the Puffzels with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the poppy seed mixture.Bake for 25 minutes or until deep brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.Source: Pepperidge Farm
