COURGETTE, CHARD, BASIL, PARSLEY AND GOAT’S CHEESE PASTIES
I’ve always loved a proper pasty and they’re absolutely perfect for picnics, but it can be tricky to find a really good vegetable version. So I’ve dreamt up my own recipe, using chard, courgettes, lots of herbs and a little goat’s cheese, although you could use feta or ricotta if you preferred. I’m wrapping the filling up in a rough puff pastry, which is a little lighter and flakier than a traditional shortcrust. Make sure the courgettes aren’t too big. They’ll be firmer and more flavoursome this way.
Preparation 20 minutes Cooking 1 hour 25 minutes Makes 4
A BUNCH OF CHARD
4 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
2 ONIONS, HALVED AND THINLY SLICED
2 GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY SLICED
6-8 SMALL COURGETTES, SLICED INTO 1-2CM ROUNDS FINELY GRATED ZEST OF 1 LEMON
LARGE HANDFUL OF BASIL, LEAVES PICKED AND CHOPPED HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, LEAVES PICKED AND CHOPPED 150G-200G SOFT GOAT’S CHEESE (OR FETA IF YOU PREFER) FLAKY SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 PACK READY-MADE PUFF PASTRY
1 EGG, WELL BEATEN
1 TSP BLACK ONION SEEDS
1 Strip the chard leaves off the stalks and give everything a wash. Roughly chop the leaves and cut the stalks into 1cm pieces. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and add the stalks. After a minute or two, add the leaves and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain, allow to cool, then squeeze out the liquid from the leaves. Set aside.
2 Set a frying pan over a medium heat and add half the extravirgin olive oil. When hot, add the onion, garlic and a little seasoning. Sizzle the onions and garlic for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the courgettes, stir well and cook for 15-20 minutes. You want the courgettes to begin to break down a tiny bit and lose some of their excess moisture, so keep stirring them as they cook. When they’re tender, but still retaining some shape, take the pan off the heat and stir in the chard, lemon zest, basil and parsley and more salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cool, then crumble in the goat’s cheese and gently mix.
3 Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6. Roll the pastry out to 4-5mm thick.
4 Use an 18-20cm plate to cut out four neat rounds. Put a quarter of the filling in the lower half of each round, allowing a border of 2cm around the edge. Brush the border below the filling with the egg and fold the pastry over to encase the filling. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork to make a tight seal.
5 Brush the pasties with egg and scatter over the black onion seeds and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden.
Eat just warm or cooled completely.
I’ve always loved a proper pasty and they’re absolutely perfect for picnics