![]() To use the final third of the butter, roll out the pastry into a rectangle roughly 45 × 55 cm (18 × 22 in), using lots of flour under the pastry and on the rolling pin. ![]() Repeat the spreading-folding process with the second third of the butter, using lots of flour on the work surface and rolling pin again. Gently roll it out to form a square again, being careful not to burst the layers of butter when you reach the edges of the pastry. Turn the pastry rectangle so one of the long sides is facing you. If this happens, chill the dough for 10 minutes to allow the butter to firm up. At this stage, the butter within the pastry layers can become a bit soft, especially on a hot day. You should have a long rectangle of pastry and no visible butter. Next, fold the buttered left-hand third over too, so that it covers newly visible un-buttered pastry. Touch the pastry as little as possible, to stop it getting too warm. ![]() (Use a pastry scraper or palette knife to loosen the dough, if necessary.) Working from the top down, pat the pastry to remove any air bubbles. Working quickly, fold the un-buttered right-hand third over the buttered middle third. Use a palette knife or spatula to spread one third of the butter over the left-hand two thirds of the pastry, leaving a 3 cm (1 1/4 in) gap all around the edge. If it is looking glossy or beginning to melt, pause here and chill it and the pastry for 10 minutes. Trim to form a neat square.ĭivide the soft butter into three roughly equal quantities. Roll out the chilled pastry to form a rough 45 cm (18 in) square, using lots of flour to prevent it sticking to the surface or the rolling pin. Wrap the pastry in cling film (plastic wrap) and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Press then roll it out to form a 15 cm (6 in) square. As soon as it starts to come together, turn it out of the bowl and onto a floured work surface. ![]() Using a spoon and then your hands, mix together the flour, salt and as much cold water as necessary in a bowl to make a soft, light dough. Pared rind of 1/2 unwaxed lemon, cut into long strips Avoid using a non-stick tart tin, as the high temperatures may break down the non-stick coating, which is not good for it or for you." ~ Rebecca Seal.Ģ75 g (10 oz/2 1/4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus more to dustĢ50 g (9 oz/11/4 cups) caster (superfine) sugar Making laminated dough, as in the recipe below, is tricky and can require a bit of practice, but I encourage you to give it a go. You won't get quite such authentic results, as pasteis de nata are made with a laminated dough, which is not exactly the same as puff pastry, but they will still be very good. It is totally acceptable to use ready-made puff pastry if you prefer, but do opt for all-butter ready-rolled puff. With many recipes, it is perfectly okay to play a bit fast and loose with the ingredients and method, but when it comes to patisserie, and particularly for these little beauties, it really pays to follow the instructions. After a lot of (not exactly onerous) research and testing, I hope this recipe does the original pastel de nata justice. Every pastry shop keeps their recipe a secret, so it's impossible to know exactly what makes them so special. While they are delicious, I prefer those sold at Manteigaria, a shop in the Chiado area – when a fresh batch is taken from the oven, they ring a bell so that hungry passers-by can rush in and grab a box while they are still warm. Now, the Pasties de Belem shop sells thousands every day. Perhaps the most famous come from a shop in the Belem district of Lisbon, where they are said to have been invented by a former monk in 1837. "Nothing says Portugal quite like a Portuguese custard tart: wobbly egg custard encased in layers of buttery pastry, which manages to be both crunchy and soft at the same time.
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