Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 7 November 2017 | Page 30

WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE: THE THIRD SPACE
RECIPES
Pastry wheel with Tomato, Ham and
Cheese
A recipe from Lesley Truchet
This is fairly easy to prepare, very tasty and
a great aperitif to impress your guests. They
simply tear off sections and eat.
Ingredients:
• 2 uncooked flaky pastry circles
• A pot of tomato and basil sauce of 200g (or any leftover tomato sauce)
• 4-6 slices of ham
• 200g grated hard cheese
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Put the tomato sauce into a pan, simmer until it thickens and allow it to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas 6).
Place one of the pastry circles on non-stick baking sheet.
Spread the sauce over the pastry to within a centimetre of the edge.
Place a layer of ham over the sauce.
Sprinkle the ham with the grated cheese. Add salt and ground pepper.
Moisten the sauce free edge of the pastry with a brush then lay the second pastry
circle over the top.
Stick the two pastry circles together by pressing the edges with your thumb.
Make a depression in the centre of the pastry with a glass. Do not cut through
both layers.
Cutting through both layers, cut strips from the centre outwards, like the spokes
of a bicycle wheel.
Leave the pastry wheel in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. This stiffens the pastry
making the next step easier.
Twist each spoke twice.
Brush the pastry with egg.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Tips
Make sure that the puff pastry is at refrigerator temperature or it will lose its
shape when handled.
Ensure that the sauce is thick or it will run out when the pastry is cut.
And finally, some suggestions for alternative fillings:
Savoury Caramelized onions, Green Pesto and sesame seeds or Spinach and
Ricotta
Sweet: Fruits, Jam, Nutella or Chocolate/nuts
29 | NOVEMBER 2017