From lamb and feta rolls to berry turnovers – 8 sweet and savoury puff pastry recipes

Daily Mail​

a day ago

COURGETTE AND GOAT'S CHEESE TART
I love making this tart in the summer and serving it alongside a big salad. It tastes even better once cooled, so this is a great dish to make ahead or pack for a picnic.
320g sheet of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
125g ricotta
125g soft goat's cheese
zest and juice of ½ lemon
200g courgette, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g pistachios, roughly chopped
honey, to drizzle
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Unroll the puff pastry sheet on the lined baking tray and, with a sharp knife, score a 2cm border all the way round the sheet, being careful not to cut right through. Brush all over with the beaten egg, then transfer to the oven to bake for an initial 10 minutes.
3 Mix the ricotta and goat's cheese together until smooth, then season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss the courgette with the lemon zest, garlic, chilli flakes, olive oil and a pinch of salt.
4 Remove the pastry from the oven and use a spoon to gently press down the middle where it has puffed up. Spread the goat's cheese mix over the centre then arrange the courgette slices over the top. Spoon any leftover oil from the courgette over the top, then put back in the oven for 20-30 minutes until it turns golden.
5 Scatter over the chopped pistachios, drizzle with honey, then serve.
ANCHOVY, ONION AND TOMATO TART
This tart has all the classic flavours of a pissaladière niçoise, except with the addition of tomatoes. You can replace the anchovies with capers, if you would rather.
200g medium tomatoes on the vine, thinly sliced
320g sheet of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
½ onion, very thinly sliced
80g anchovy fillets, drained
50g pitted black olives
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10g fresh chives, finely chopped, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with parchment.
2 Lay the tomato slices on some kitchen paper and sprinkle generously with salt. Leave for 10-15 minutes for the salt to release some of their liquid.
3 Unroll the puff pastry on the lined baking tray and use a small knife to score an approximately 2cm border right round the sheet, being careful not to cut all the way through.
4 Brush all over with the beaten egg, then lay the onion and tomato slices over the top. Arrange the anchovies in a crisscross pattern, adding the olives evenly in the gaps. Drizzle over the olive oil and transfer to the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle the chives over the cooked tart, season with salt and black pepper, and serve.
HALLOUMI AND MANGO CHUTNEY PARCELS
These sweet and salty halloumi dippers are so moreish, they are guaranteed to go down a treat at any party. Don't forget to be generous with the mango chutney – and serve with extra for dipping, too.
2 x 225g blocks of halloumi
320g sheet of puff pastry
4 tbsp mango chutney
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp nigella or cumin seeds
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Cut each halloumi block into eight sticks. Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into four long strips, then cut each strip into four squares. Add a little mango chutney to each square, then turn them so you are looking at a diamond rather than a square. Add a halloumi stick to the centre of each one, then pull the pastry up, twisting round to seal.
3 Place on the baking tray and brush with the beaten egg, then sprinkle over the nigella or cumin seeds. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve immediately, while the halloumi is hot.
LAMB AND FETA ROLLS
These spicy bites are another great twist on a classic. Go with halloumi instead of feta if you prefer.
300g lamb mince
200g feta, crumbled
½ a small red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp harissa paste
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
320g sheet of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
salt, to taste
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Add the lamb mince, feta, red onion, harissa, mint, cumin and coriander to a mixing bowl and combine well with your hands. Season with a generous pinch of salt.
3 Unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut it in half lengthways so you have two long strips. Using your hands, spread half the lamb mix in a cylinder shape along the middle of one of the pastry strips. Brush the edge closest to you with the beaten egg, then lift the other pastry edge over the meat to meet the egg-moistened edge, pressing a fork along the full length to seal the two. Repeat with the remaining pastry strip.
4 Cut each long sausage into eight mini ones, then gently lift them on to the lined baking tray. Brush all with the beaten egg, then sprinkle over the coriander seeds. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
FISH EN CROUTE
A great weeknight dinner that feels fancy yet comes together really quickly. Use good-quality fish and serve with buttered peas on the side.
MAKES 2 (to serve 2 or 4, depending how hungry)
100g baby spinach
320g sheet of puff pastry
100g garlic-and-herb soft cheese (for example Boursin)
2 chunky cod fillets, approximately 160g each
juice of ½ a lemon
a small handful of fresh basil, leaves picked
1 egg, beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Add the spinach to a colander in the sink. Boil the kettle then pour the water over the spinach to wilt the leaves. Run them under cold water to cool, then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
3 Unroll the puff pastry and cut lengthways into two strips, making one 1cm bigger than the other. Cut each strip in half so you have four rectangles.
4 Spread the garlic-and-herb cheese over the centre of the two smaller puff pastry squares, leaving a 2cm border right round the edge. Top each smaller square with the spinach, then the fish. Squeeze over the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and add a few basil leaves on top of the fish, then place the slightly larger pieces of pastry on top and press the edges down with a fork to seal.
5 Make three small incisions in the top of both parcels, then transfer to the baking tray. Brush all over with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden.
COCONUT AND PASSION FRUIT VOL-AU-VENTS
These sweet vol-au-vents are made using simple ingredients and can be adapted to suit whatever fruit is in season.
320g sheet of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
200g double cream
400g thick Greek yogurt
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp vanilla-bean paste
6 passion fruit
30g toasted coconut chips
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 To make the vol-au-vents, unroll the puff pastry and cut lengthways into three long strips. Cut each strip into four squares, then, with a knife, score a smaller square inside each square, leaving a ½cm border right round the square – take care not to cut all the way through. Place them on the baking tray, brush with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden and puffed-up.
3 Meanwhile, mix the cream and yogurt together, then fold through the honey and vanilla-bean paste. Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out the pulp.
4 Remove the vol-au-vents from the oven and leave to cool completely. With a knife remove the middle piece of pastry from each one and discard, taking care to keep the base intact.
5 Fill the vol-au-vents with the yogurt mix, spooning over some passion-fruit pulp. Finish with the toasted coconut chips and serve.
'NDUJA AND PARMESAN TWISTS
A spicy spin on a classic cheese twist. Best enjoyed with a cold beer in the sun!
MAKES 12
320g sheet of puff pastry
75g 'nduja (or less if you'd prefer them not too spicy)
30g parmesan, finely grated
zest of ½ lemon
1 egg, beaten
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Unroll the puff pastry and spread the 'nduja all over. Sprinkle over the parmesan and zest of the lemon, then fold the sheet in half as if you're closing a book. Cut into 12 strips, then twist each one a few times and put on to a lined baking tray.
3 Brush with the beaten egg and transfer to the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes until crisp and golden.
BERRY TURNOVERS
These are so versatile. You can use whatever berries and citrus you have to hand and experiment with adding herbs and spices too, if you like. Frozen or fresh berries work equally well here, so you can enjoy these delicious turnovers all year round.
240g berries of choice
20g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
320g sheet of puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp demerara sugar
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Mix the berries, sugar and lemon zest together in a bowl, mashing slightly with a fork.
3 Unroll the puff pastry and roll it out slightly to make it a bit bigger. Cut the pastry in half lengthways, then cut each strip into three. Divide the berry mixture between the six squares of pastry, spooning into the middle. Brush the pastry around the berries with the beaten egg, then lift one corner and fold over to make a triangle, pressing down along the edges gently to seal. Lift gently on to the baking tray, then repeat to make six pies in total.
4 Make a small incision on the top of each pastry, then brush all over with the egg. Sprinkle the demerara over the top, then transfer to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
NOW BUY THE BOOK
Our recipes are taken from Puff It Up by Caitlin Macdonald, with photographs by Luke Albert (Quadrille, £16.99). To order a copy for £14.44 until 20 July, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.