Spicy pork and apple pasties

As previously mentioned, this week the ABC's The Cook & The Chef aired its final episode. My friends and I farewelled the show with champagne and the following pasties, from a recipe by Maggie Beer (the 'cook' of the title).

This was my first time using verjuice - this is a bit of a joke for anyone who's ever watched the tv show or flicked through one of Maggie's cookbooks. She loves verjuice (and quince paste, and olive oil) and will never ever pass up an opportunity to throw it in somewhere. Of course, she does sell the stuff as well. LOL.




1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup verjuice
1/4 cup dried currants
1/3 cup dried apples, chopped
extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
500g minced pork
1/4 preserved lemon, flesh removed, rind rinsed and finely chopped
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flatleaf (continental) parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 free-range egg, for brushing pastry (recipe suggests beating with 1 tablespoon pouring cream)
puff pastry


Preheat fan-forced oven to 180 C (350 F). Place pine nuts on baking tray and roast for 5-8 minutes or until golden. Remove and leave to cool.

Place 1/4 cup of verjuice in each of 2 small saucepans. Add currants to one and apples to the other. Heat both pans gently over low heat for a few minutes. Set aside to plump and cool.

Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over low-medium heat. Saute garlic and onion for 10 minutes or until translucent but not coloured. Add ginger and cinnamon and cook for another minute, until spices are fragrant. Remove from heat, stir in honey, and leave to cool.

Put minced pork, pine nuts, cooled onion mixture, currants and apples (including juices), preserved lemon, 2 eggs, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and refridgerate until ready to use.

[The original recipe calls for handmade pastry but I used pre-bought puff pastry. I imagine shortcrust pastry (handmade or bought) would work just as well.]

Preheat oven to 230 C (475 F).

Cut puff pastry into 4 squares per sheet and fill with pork mixture. Fold over into triangles and fold over edges to seal. Brush with egg, prick with fork, and place on baking tray lined with paper.

Bake pasties for 20-25 minutes or until golden, then serve.

[The original recipe says this will make 8 - somehow, I made 20. I don't know.]




From Maggie's Kitchen by Maggie Beer