Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Banh Mi Pork Pasties
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour 30 mins
35 mins
4 hours
Serves:
8 pasties
Tom W created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 17. He put the filling of a Vietnamese bánh mì into a pasty: herby pork with ginger and lemongrass, a spicy peanut sauce and a sharp pickle, all wrapped in flaky laminated pastry. Paul Hollywood called the spice level spot on and praised th...
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Ingredients
FOR THE QUICK PICKLE: 1/2 cup (120 ml) rice vinegar 1/4 cup (60 ml) water 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar 1/2 tsp (3 g) fine salt 1 large carrot (about 5 oz / 140 g), cut into fine matchsticks 4 oz (115 g) daikon radish, cut into fine matchsticks
FOR THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY: 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp (6 g) fine salt 1 1/3 cups (300 g) unsalted butter (2 2/3 sticks), very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2/3 cup (160 ml) ice water 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
FOR THE HERBY PORK: 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil 2 stalks lemongrass, tender core only, very finely chopped 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, finely grated 3 garlic cloves, finely grated 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) ground pork, not too lean 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce 2 tsp (8 g) light brown sugar 1/2 tsp (1 g) black pepper 1/4 cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tbsp (5 g) fresh mint, chopped 2 scallions, thinly sliced
FOR THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE: 1/3 cup (85 g) smooth peanut butter 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) sriracha, to taste 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce 1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice 1 tsp (7 g) honey 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) warm water, only enough for a thick paste
FOR ASSEMBLY: 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for glazing
EQUIPMENT: Two large baking sheets, lined with parchment Rolling pin and a ruler 7-inch (18 cm) round template, such as a small plate or saucepan lid Large skillet Fine-mesh sieve Bench scraper Pastry brush Wire rack Instant-read thermometer (optional)Instant Read Thermometer
Method
STEP 1: MAKE THE QUICK PICKLE
Warm the rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small pan, stirring until dissolved, then let cool. Pour over the carrot and daikon matchsticks and leave for at least 1 hour. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels before using; wet pickle will soften the pastry.
STEP 2: MAKE THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Toss in the butter cubes to coat; do not rub them in. Mix the ice water with the lemon juice and add gradually, cutting it in with a knife, until a shaggy dough forms with visible lumps of butter. Shape into a rectangle, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
STEP 3: LAMINATE THE PASTRY
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 18 x 7 inches (45 x 18 cm), keeping the edges straight with a bench scraper. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like a letter. Turn 90° and repeat. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Do two more roll-and-fold turns, chilling between them, for four turns in all. Chill for at least 30 minutes before shaping. Keep the dough cold throughout so the butter stays in layers rather than seeping out.
STEP 4: COOK AND DRAIN THE PORK
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lemongrass, ginger, garlic and shallot and fry for 1 minute. Add the pork and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Tip into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and drain off all the excess liquid to avoid a soggy bottom. Cool completely, then stir in the cilantro, mint and scallions.
STEP 5: MAKE THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
Whisk the peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of sriracha, the soy sauce, lime juice and honey, adding warm water a little at a time until smooth but thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Taste and add more sriracha only if the sauce tastes mild; it should be clearly spicy but not dominant.
STEP 6: SHAPE THE PASTIES
Roll the pastry about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and cut eight 7-inch (18 cm) rounds using the template, stacking and re-rolling the trimmings flat if needed. On one half of each round, spoon a good spoonful of pork (about 1/3 cup), then about 2 teaspoons of peanut sauce, then a sprinkle of pickle, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Brush the border with beaten egg using a pastry brush, fold over and press to seal. Crimp the edge. Place on the lined baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes.
STEP 7: BAKE
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush the pasties with egg and cut a small vent in each. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden and puffed, swapping the sheets halfway. Lift one and check the base is crisp and browned. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve warm.
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Instructions
FOR THE QUICK PICKLE:
1/2 cup (120 ml) rice vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp (3 g) fine salt
1 large carrot (about 5 oz / 140 g), cut into fine matchsticks
4 oz (115 g) daikon radish, cut into fine matchsticks
FOR THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY:
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp (6 g) fine salt
1 1/3 cups (300 g) unsalted butter (2 2/3 sticks), very cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2/3 cup (160 ml) ice water
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
FOR THE HERBY PORK:
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
2 stalks lemongrass, tender core only, very finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) ground pork, not too lean
1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
2 tsp (8 g) light brown sugar
1/2 tsp (1 g) black pepper
1/4 cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp (5 g) fresh mint, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
FOR THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE:
1/3 cup (85 g) smooth peanut butter
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) sriracha, to taste
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
1 tsp (7 g) honey
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) warm water, only enough for a thick paste
FOR ASSEMBLY:
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, for glazing
EQUIPMENT:
Two large baking sheets, lined with parchment
Rolling pin and a ruler
7-inch (18 cm) round template, such as a small plate or saucepan lid
Large skillet
Fine-mesh sieve
Bench scraper
Pastry brush
Wire rack
Instant-read thermometer (optional)
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE THE QUICK PICKLE
Warm the rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small pan, stirring until dissolved, then let cool. Pour over the carrot and daikon matchsticks and leave for at least 1 hour. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels before using; wet pickle will soften the pastry.
STEP 2: MAKE THE ROUGH PUFF PASTRY
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Toss in the butter cubes to coat; do not rub them in. Mix the ice water with the lemon juice and add gradually, cutting it in with a knife, until a shaggy dough forms with visible lumps of butter. Shape into a rectangle, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
STEP 3: LAMINATE THE PASTRY
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 18 x 7 inches (45 x 18 cm), keeping the edges straight with a bench scraper. Fold the top third down and the bottom third up, like a letter. Turn 90° and repeat. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Do two more roll-and-fold turns, chilling between them, for four turns in all. Chill for at least 30 minutes before shaping. Keep the dough cold throughout so the butter stays in layers rather than seeping out.
STEP 4: COOK AND DRAIN THE PORK
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lemongrass, ginger, garlic and shallot and fry for 1 minute. Add the pork and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Tip into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and drain off all the excess liquid to avoid a soggy bottom. Cool completely, then stir in the cilantro, mint and scallions.
STEP 5: MAKE THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
Whisk the peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of sriracha, the soy sauce, lime juice and honey, adding warm water a little at a time until smooth but thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Taste and add more sriracha only if the sauce tastes mild; it should be clearly spicy but not dominant.
STEP 6: SHAPE THE PASTIES
Roll the pastry about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and cut eight 7-inch (18 cm) rounds using the template, stacking and re-rolling the trimmings flat if needed. On one half of each round, spoon a good spoonful of pork (about 1/3 cup), then about 2 teaspoons of peanut sauce, then a sprinkle of pickle, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Brush the border with beaten egg using a pastry brush, fold over and press to seal. Crimp the edge. Place on the lined baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes.
STEP 7: BAKE
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush the pasties with egg and cut a small vent in each. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden and puffed, swapping the sheets halfway. Lift one and check the base is crisp and browned. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve warm.
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