[SCA] Purim cooking

[cellio]

Tonight I did a trial run of one of the recipes for the Purim event, a fish pie. The ones for the event will not all be as whimsical as this, but one probably will be.



(The tail "fins" slipped in cooking.) I'm not sure what to use for the eye. I'm thinking maybe a green grape (or half of one), but I didn't have any in the house.

I seem to have zero talent for pie crust. The first problem is that it was kind of tough (I mean even before baking); I understand that this means I kneaded it too long, but the line between "not yet one coherent ball of dough" and "over-kneaded" is, in that case, way too fine. As soon as it all held together I stopped.

I assume my problems rolling it out are related to this. I couldn't get it as thin as I wanted. It just wouldn't go, after a while. I suppose I should go looking for "pie crust 101" on Wikipedia or something.

Comments

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

For a flaky crust, chop stuff together til it looks "sandy" and clumps a little.
Then press with the heel of the hand, and it will lock into a ball. Done.

Remember to keep it all as cold as you can ( ice water, cold board, refridgerate to keep cool, etc ).
The pie looks lovely, I do wish I could be there. The almond is cute.

[cellio]

Thanks for the instruction! Much appreciated.

I rolled out the dough immediately after the second kneading. (Knead, cover with wet towel and put somewhere warm, knead just enough to get out the air pockets, and then roll.) Was that my mistake? Was I supposed to chill it before rolling?

Sorry you can't be there, but it would be a bit of a shlep (especially for a Sunday event).

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

If the fat gets warm, it soaks into the flour rather than resting between microlayers, and becomes a tougher entity, yes.
I like to wrap it in plastic, get it cold in the 'fridge for a half of an hour, then roll it out cold. It will crack, but patches press in nicely.
If it begins to warm, place it back into a cold spot til it chills. Dont bother to knead, it will do more harm than good.
Thanks for the nudge, I'll post some pie crusts tomorrow or the next day. Not period, but reliable.

Looking forward to hearing about the meal!

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

I was, of course, assuming a pastry crust.
For a pie which needs integrity, you lose all tenderness by design.
For these crusts, often they were intended to be discarded by the diners, perhaps eaten like trenchers by servants and dogs after dinner.