A friend of mine eats only fish and no meat, so I adapted a traditional Surinamese pie dish, which is normally made with flaked, cooked or broiled chicken. It’s the only Surinam dish I know where we use imported capers, so it has its very distinctive taste. Pastei is served on special occasions as a side dish next to rice, sliced beets; roasted chicken, brown beans and other fancy stuff. But I make it here as a starter or a snack. We make our own soft piecrust too but I prefer to use flaky feuilleté to make individual, little pies. To make five pies
1 package of 10 feuilleté, frozen plaques 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 small can of oil packed tuna fish, well drained 1-levelled tablespoon tomato paste 3 heaped tablespoons of blanched, frozen peas 3 heaped tablespoons of blanched carrot cubes, the same size as the peas 1 medium gherkin, finely cubed 2 or 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced to make fifteen pieces 1 whisked egg for glazing 1-levelled teaspoon sugar ¼ fish stock cube 1-levelled tablespoon capers 1-tablespoon oil or less ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg Salt Pepper
Pre-heat oven to medium hot. Warm a pan on low heat, add oil and onion and little salt, stir, leave it for three minutes, then raise the heat, stir and fry till the onion edges colour. Lower heat, add tomato paste and pepper, stir, take from the fire and add the crumbled fish cube, the roughly flaked tuna, vegetables, capers, sugar and nutmeg. Toss.
Cut five, five centimetre long slits in the middle of five of the defrosted pastry plaques to be used as lids, so they can expand over the filling. Heap 1/5 of the filling in the middle of one plaque, cover with three slices of boiled egg, wet the edges with egg wash, cover with slashed plaque and press the edges firmly together with the prongs of a fork. Make five pies, on a baking sheet, on baking foil and brush with egg wash. Bake for about 15 minutes till golden brown. Eat warm or cold, and drink My Fresh Ginger Beer:
Mix in a blender:
200 ml of cold water A piece of fresh ginger, about 1 or 2 centimetre 3 cloves ½ teaspoon citric acid ¼ teaspoon vanilla sugar ¼ teaspoon powdered cinnamon Sugar substitute
Strain and add ice cubes. Refreshing and improves blood circulation which works wonderful for tired legs.
Posts: 5454 | From: Holland | Registered: Aug 2008
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