Our eyes rove the spread in the bain-marie
of the Turkish stall in the food court at Melbourne Central, past the rank and
files of felafels; across the dunes of dolmades and undulating cabbage rolls.
Fluorescent, psychedelic sirens of pickled vegetables
persuade us.
The call of the chiffonades, cool cucumbers
and chickpeas punctuated with kalamattas resounds clear.
But we have eyes only for these oval
obelisks…
Or oblong boats…
Or potato pides…
The filling
3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and
roughly mashed
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp garlic, finely minced
4 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp chopped mint
½ cup feta crumbled cheese
1 tsp crushed red chilli
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup grated mozzarella cheese
The pastry
3 cups plain flour, sifted
1 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 egg – you can use the egg white and reserve the yolk to brush the pastry
2 tbs olive oil
Method
The filling
Heat a pan and add the olive oil and
butter. Add the sliced onions and sliced mushrooms and sauté for a minute. Add
the garlic and sauté a little more. Now add the mashed potatoes and cook for a
few minutes. Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Check
and adjust the taste. Set aside to cool.
The pastry
In a bowl, mix the sugar and warm water.
Sprinkle the yeast on the surface and a keep covered in a warm place for about
10 minutes. Combine flour and salt in
another bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add the yeast water and break the
egg into the flour. If you want to use
only the white, then separate it first before mixing in the flour. Add the
olive oil. Mix well and knead into a dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly
floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Brush a bowl with oil and place the dough
in the bowl and lightly coat with oil. Cover with a damp tea towel or cling
film. Set aside in a warm place for about 40 minutes or until the dough has
doubled in size. Punch the dough back once and keep for some more time till it
has risen again.
Divide the dough into equal 6 portions and
roll each portion into an oval shape.
Spread the filling in an oval shape in the
centre and sprinkle some grated mozzarella over it. Fold the sides halfway over
the filling and pinch the ends together to get a boat shape as seen in the
photo.
Place them on lightly greased cookie sheet
and brush their tops with beaten egg yolk or milk.
Preheat oven to 220°C. Place baking tray on
the middle shelf of the oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden
brown.
Interesting! i must try it.
ReplyDeletelooks super!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anu! :)
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