“I poured wine and went back to the sitting room to listen to Schubert and to think positive thoughts about my life. The second part was not easy but I made the effort, soon aided by the wine and the cheering smell of the pie thing.”
‘White Dog’, Peter Temple
Please note: I have not tested this recipe. If it doesn’t work, please don’t hunt me down, blame Mr Temple. But not too much because we need him to keep writing…
I have now tested this recipe. A lot. It is wonderful, delicious and a firm family favourite. It stands up to a fair bit of tinkering, as it should, depending on what you have at hand. I usually leave out the feta and the olives, as the pie thing already has a lot going on, but let your taste buds and your fridge be your guide! I usually make four pie things which leaves plenty of left overs.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 12 mushrooms (variety unspecified), finely sliced
- handful pitted olives
- 3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
- knob of butter
- parmesan, grated*
- feta, crumbled*
- mozarella, sliced*
- concentrated tomato paste
- slices of proscuitto
- 1 small red onion, finely sliced
- 1/2 red capsicum, cut into thin strips
* quantities are unspecified, but you don’t need a huge amount…
Method
Take your frozen puff pastry sheet out of the freezer and place it on an oven tray to start thawing.
Turn on your oven to an unspecified heat. I am thinking 180-200 would seem like a good starting point.
Put the butter, garlic and anchovies into a frying pan over a low heat and cook, stirring, to dissolve the anchovies. When the garlic is lightly coloured and the anchovies have turned to a delicious paste, add the mushrooms, the olives and a good grind of black pepper. Stir, put on the lid and let the mixture cook for a while, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, pour a glass of wine and start to sip.
Spread the tomato paste over half the pastry, leaving a strip bare at the edges. Add the mushroom mixture, which you could have blitzed with your handy blitzing device, testing for seasoning of course. Lay the proscuitto slices over (tastefully, recommends Mr Temple) then the onion and capsicum slices. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Fold the pastry in half and pinch to seal. Slash the top with a sharp knife and brush with a little olive oil.
Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve with more wine then retire to a bed made up with freshly laundered heavy cotton sheets and a good book. Jack Irish does not find his particularly gripping, but I recommend another Peter Temple.