Savory Suet Pastry Food

BASIC SUET CRUST PASTRY

Steps:

• sift the flour into abowl, then sprinkle the suet in, season if desired and just mix it in lightly with your hands to distribute it evenly.
• Now sprinkle in some cold water (you'll find you need more for this pastry than for shortcrust).
• Begin mixing with around bladed knife, and then use your hands at the end to bring it all together to a smooth elastic dough that leaves the bowl clean.
• suet crust should be left for 5 minutes, then rolled out immediately. You should always roll it out more quickly than shorcrust, approximately 1/2 inch thick.

SAVORY SUET PASTRY

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse flour, chives and suet (or margarine) until fat is incorporated, about 9 times. Continue pulsing and add water slowly, till dough forms clumps and pulls away from side of bowl.
• Knead the dough on a floured board till soft. Make a thick disk about 6 inches in diameter.
• Cut the disk into 6 equal portions, form smaller disks, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours before using.

FOOLPROOF SHORTCRUST PASTRY (FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD)

Steps:

• Cut the butter into small cubes and arrange on a small plate. Freeze for 20 minutes.
• Add the flour and salt to a food processor, then pulse to combine. Add the butter and process for 10 continuous seconds, until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg and process for 5 seconds. Add the ice water and process for 20 seconds. The dough should now start clumping together. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface. The mixture will easily hold together when pressed. Using your hands, gather the dough into a ball then flatten into a disk, kneading it as lightly as possible.
• If you're making shortcrust pastry right before you need to use it, gather it into a disk, set it on a lightly floured surface, and roll it out to the required size. Ease into a pie or tart pan, lay flat on a baking sheet, or cut out and fit into muffin pans if making tartlets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Use as instructed by the recipe.
• You can alternatively wrap the ball of shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 3 days, or freeze for 1 month.
• Bring refrigerated shortcrust pastry back to room temperature at least 30 minutes before rolling. Thaw frozen shortcrust pastry overnight in the refrigerator, then bring back to room temperature at least 30 minutes before rolling.

JILL'S GG ROAST SUET PUDDING

Steps:

• Sift Self raising floor, add Suet baking powder and salt and mix or blend until smooth (no lumps of suet)
• Whilst blending/mixing add enough warm water to bring mixture into soft dough (not too wet or dry)
• Once the Roast Joint is removed for resting roughly roll dough into rough roasting tray size (not too heavy handed as the mixture will not rise) and sit into roasting juices. baste with juices and place in oven for 25mins or until golden brown. Oven Temp around 180-200C/gas 7-8
• baste at least twice through out cooking time, allow 10-15mins before first baste (allowing for the dough to rise)
• Please note the dough does not rise significantly, only about double.

THE BRITISH BULLDOG! TRADITIONAL LAYERED BEEF STEAK SUET PUDDING

Steps:

• (Cook the meat 2 hours prior to steaming the assembled pudding.).
• Filling: Dip meat in seasoned flour and fry lightly. Add onions and fry until golden. Place in casserole with stock, tomato puree and herbs and cook for 2 hours. Cool.
• Pastry: Put flour, suet and seasoning in a bowl. Add sufficient water to form a firm but soft dough.
• Pudding: Roll out the suet pastry and using assorted sizes of saucers, cut out rounds to fit the pudding bowl diameter, starting off small and getting bigger!
• In a well buttered pudding basin, start with a small round of suet pastry and then add some stewed beef, then a layer of suet pastry and then the beef -- carry on in this way until all the pastry and beef is used up - the last layer should be suet pastry. Cover with buttered greasproof paper and then aluminium foil.
• Steam for 2 hours, making sure there is always plenty of water. (Always top up the steamer with BOILING water - adding cold water will make the pudding heavy.).
• Serve with fresh seasonal greens and vegetables and mashed or steamed potatoes.