Ingredients

• Jus-Rol™ Shortcrust Pastry Block
• 2 packs of Asparagus, blanched and cooled
• 250g Smoked salmon, shredded in to small pieces
• 4 Eggs, 1 beaten for glazing and 3 whole
• 248ml Soured cream
• 125ml Milk
• Salt & black pepper
• 1 Lemon, zest only

Equipment required

• Rolling Pin
• 8 individual tartlet tins
• Fork
• Greaseproof paper
• Baking Beans

Techniques Used

• How to Roll Shortcrust Pastry
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  How to Roll Shortcrust Pastry

  

  1. For best results when rolling out shortcrust pastry use a large, clean dry area of the work surface and lightly dust it with plain flour.
  2. Place pastry dough on surface and lightly dust it and the rolling pin with flour.
  3. Roll pastry firmly, always rolling away from you, give the dough 2-3 rolls.
  4. Then turn the dough a quarter turn.
  5. Dust again if necessary and continue rolling out, frequently turning the pastry so it is not always rolled in the same direction as this causes shrinkage.
  6. When the pastry has increased in size, pick it up to turn/ line the tin by rolling it round the rolling pin.
  7. Lift the pin with the pastry around it carefully and turn it to lay out and continue rolling. Again this is done to prevent the pastry from stretching as you lift it which in turn would result in shrinkage in baking. Shortcrust pastry should be rolled out to approx. 3-5 mm. depth.
• How to Make a No Dish Pie with Shortcrust Pastry
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  How to Make a No Dish Pie with Shortcrust Pastry

  Using Jus-Rol™ Frozen ready rolled Shortcrust Pastry Sheets – which come in two discs – it is possible to make a quick pie without using a pie dish or tin.

  • 1. Unroll one pastry disc and lay on a piece of baking paper, pile your chosen filling on to the pastry leaving a border all round.
    2. Brush border with water or beaten egg.
    3. Unroll second sheet of pastry and leave on its blue film, with a sharp knife cut a cross in the middle of the sheet.
    4. Then cut a second cross at the same place but at right angles to the first so that you end up with eight points in the middle.
    5. Carefully lift up the pastry, still on the film and lay it over the base pastry plus filling.
    6. Discard film and press edges firmly together all round.
    7. Knock up edges to form a good seal by gently tapping the blade of a sharp knife held horizontally against the two layers of pastry rim.
    8. For the flute, make cuts in the rim, radiating out to the edge at approx. 2.5 cm/1″ intervals all round.
    9. Brush edge with water and start to flute by lifting up one of the cut corners and pressing over towards the filling.
    10. Continue doing this with every second corner to achieve a ‘sunburst’ edge.
    11. Brush pie top with water and then fold back every other centre point made by cutting the crosses in the top pastry sheet.
    12. This will then allow the filling to show through.
    13. Finally, lightly dredge the pie top with caster sugar, slide the pie on it’s paper onto a baking sheet and bake as in the recipes.
• How to Blind Bake Pastry
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  How to Blind Bake Pastry

  Once a flan tin or ring has been lined you may wish to bake it unfilled (baking blind), to then fill later with a cold filling or one which requires a lower cooking temperature. It is always best, if time allows, to chill the unbaked flan in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before baking blind.

  • 1. Take a large piece of silicone baking or greaseproof paper and pleat it so that you can fit it into the flan tin easily.
    2. Press paper gently into flan case and allow excess to stand up around edges.
    3. Cover base with baking beans or similar. It is possible to buy ceramic baking beans which are re-usable, otherwise use uncooked rice, split peas or similar to weight down the base.
    4. Bake the flan according to recipe instructions, generally the flan is baked for 12-15 minutes then the paper and beans removed and the flan returned to oven to finish baking to a golden brown.