Saturday, May 24, 2008

T is for Turnip,Crab and Leek Pasties

Most parents when they cook a meal and present it to their children only ever have to see one or maybe two people grimace and say "yeeuuck!" But there is a man who lives in East Boldon, in the North East of England, who faces a chorus of screwed up faces every day of his working life. And he deserves a medal (or at least a stiff drink). David Hall works with school children as a demonstration chef, introducing them to fresh food, real cooking and new tastes. He sent Freddie a recipe for Turnip, Crab and Leek Pasties. And there wasn't a grimace in sight when I made them. This was a straight ten out of ten, "are there any seconds?" and let's fight over the last pastie. Thank you David - this takes turnip to new heights! Please visit David Hall's Book the Cook blog...
David Hall's delicious Crab, Turnip and Leek Pasties
1 leek, halved and sliced
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
25g butter
1 small turnip, peeled and diced into small cubes
1 tbsp Cider vinegar
Half tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Worcester sauce
1 tsp English Mustard
300g crabmeat, brown and white
Salt and pepper
1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry
A little milk

1 – Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C, GM6.
2 – In a non-stick pan, heat up the oil and butter then add the leeks. Cook gently for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured.
3 – Add the cubed turnip and heat through for a further minute.
4 – Stir in the crab meat, vinegar, cayenne pepper, Worcester sauce and English mustard along with a good grinding of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning.
5 – On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry. Cut out discs approximately 5 inches in diameter. Place tablespoons of the crab mixture into the centre of the pastry.
6 – Dampen the edges of the pastry with milk then fold over and press the edges together. Crimp with a fork.
7 – Brush with milk then bake on a high shelf for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Delicious hot or cold.

If any of you work with children to encourage healthy eating, learning to cook or grow vegetables, please let me know and I will add you to our links. Or leave a comment telling us about what you do.

11 comments:

  1. Good on ya Freddie! We love turnip and positively adore crab, so I'm chuffed to bits you gave them 10 out of 10. Top stuff!

    Charlotte - I reside in East Boldon not Gateshead :o)

    Luv David x

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  2. I love David's food and those look superb.

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  3. Anonymous7:24 AM

    David - Oops - Sorry - will correct the post. Thank you for the pasties though!

    Lori Lynn - Sometimes he does...

    Sylvie - They are great. I am never disappointed by David's recipes.

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  4. Hi.

    What happened to swede or is turnip the same veg???
    We always have carrot and turnip mash. It's fantastic with lots of butter and white pepper. Mum always chops it with a crinkle potato cutter - a fork would do but not too fine is the secret. It's fantastic with roast beef and yorkshire pudding.

    Lindy

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  5. Anonymous1:23 PM

    Do your turnips come with the green tops still attached?

    If so, you can cook and eat the turnip greens. Recipes for spinach or collard greens would work well.

    It's a bonus two-veggies-for-the-price-of-one!

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  6. Anonymous2:43 PM

    What an extraordinary combination - but 10 out of 10 says it all!
    TopVeg

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  7. David always comes up with good ideas and he is a really nice chap too! I would love one of these, minus the crab. I like neeps!

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  8. Anonymous10:06 AM

    Top Veg - it is extraordinary but it works. And as you said the ten out of ten was good enough for me!

    Holler - I second what you say. What would you add instead of the crab - would it work with tofu?

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  9. Hi Charlotte, I went ahead and made some pasties. I just added the veg I had in the fridge. mushrooms, babycorn, carrots and potatoes. But I could see the ingrdients you used would be good, just not for me.

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  10. Anonymous6:52 AM

    Holler - I might try making some completely veggie pasties for the children - see what Freddie makes of them...

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