I got a great idea from a recipe Sister Erin literally waved under my nose, to make sure it grabbed my attention. It was for a custard-topped meat tart. What a concept! But it was the crust that got my attention. The chef specified puff pastry…
I’ll admit, the photo (reproduced above) that accompanied the recipe grabbed me, on the visual level, as soon as I laid eyes on it. And the notion of a custard top on a Shepherd’s Pie nailed this one as a ‘must-post’.
Opulent concept…
It’s nothing less than an opulent concept. Something worthy of a top, contemporary, food forward chef. And I guess that’s just who the inimitable Jake Suliga is. (His proper name is ‘Jakob’, but I’ve been following him so long, and featured so many of his creations in this space, I feel like I know him personally…)
Yes, I developed an instant love-at-first-sight attachment to this particular recipe. But I’ve also de-cided that both the crust idea and topping deserve special mention, as applicable in much broader circumstances.
My observations…
I refer you to the recipe, itself for details, but I want to share some of my personal observations on both its specifics and its broader themes.
First, the filling is as much a Québecois Toiurtière as it is a Shepherd’s pie. Call it what you want. Tweak it as you will. Make it yours. But know that this filling dovetails beautifully with the custard topping! Try it exactly this way he first time. It will give you a true feel for what these under and over techniques can do got your personal cuisine.
Do blind-bake the crust first, as Seliga directs. Timing is everything. And filling the crust before bak-ing will kill the puff. If you think soggy regular pastry is bad, let me assure you that soggy puff is 10 times yukkier…
Remember that the topping can be tweaked to fulfill a number of seemingly disparate roles.
Sweet or savoury
We’re talking a savoury dish, here. And, as such, the custard recipe is perfect as written. But you can add small amounts of appropriate flavour accompaniments to complement other fillings. Custard is like a blank canvas; you can paint it with flavours and colours to your heart’s conent! And in any sweet applicaion, a dash of vanilla and a teaspoon full of sugar (or equivalent of any other sweet-ener) is never out of place.
But always remember, less is more in this context. Subtle is supreme. You don’t want to overwhelm the flavour of the filling, which is always a pie’s featured ingredient!
How it ‘pans’ out
You can use puff pastry for a plethora of pies and flatbread recipes! And what a character transform-ation it can make…
A quiche becomes a dish fit for a Disney Princess. A fruit pie is instantly transformed into a slice no foodie could resist taking a photo of. Maybe even a selfie! A pizza or any other flatbread creation on puff pastry is transported to a cloud.
And with a properly-formed rim, can be anywhere from Foccacia-flat to Chicago-deep-dish without losing any of its inimitable charm.
The best part…
No less an authority than my Baking & Pastry instructor at culinary school admitted to us that, “Nobody makes their own puff pastry anymore…” So raiding thr refigerator case at your supermarket-of-record is not officially cheating. In fact you’re following a pro’s advice and example.
And baking puff is really easy – almost fool-proof. Simply follow the instructions, and don’t over-handle it.
As processed foods go, it’s relatively ‘clean’. And these days, it’s relatively inexpensive, too.
My take
Here’s another technique – a pair of techniques, really – that should really get your creative juices flowing.
I propose a challenge: Next time you think of making something that requires a crust, cogitate on how you can use puff to elevate it to the exotic. And next time you contemplate making a dessert or casserole that requires a classic topping – especially something that calls for mashed potatoes (savoury), or meringue (sweet) – consider this sumptuous, creamy custard!
~ Maggie J.