SAVORY SPRING THEME BREAKFAST PASTY: SMOKED SALMON, EGG & EDAM CHEESE

Posted by Fallier Food on February 24, 2013

I’ve got an interesting take for a new savory breakfast treat. In my catering business I do quite a few events annually @ the British Consulate General in NYC. I’ve taken the British food ideas & put my own American spin to them while trying to preserve some of the integrity of the recipe by using familiar ingredients & maintaining the name. In this blog I intend to introduce The Pasty concept to the American public but repackage it with fun shapes and not the run of the mill ingredients.

For those who have not heard of the Cornish Pasty, this dish is commonly associated with Cornwall England, although its origin is unclear; the pasty could possibly go back as far as the 13th Century. The most familiar ingredients used are minced beef, diced potatoes, swede, (yellow turnip) onion, salt & pepper. The contents are baked in a flat pastry circle that has been folded over into a half sphere and then edges crimped to seal in the goodies. It was a frequent lunch brought to the mines by the tin miners of Cornwall because the unique shape made it easy to carry, easy to eat without cutlery and most importantly provided a balanced hardy meal in one convenient package. The thick folded pastry could stay warm for hours in the mine and easily warmed up on a shovel over a candle. It would never dawn on me to use a shovel & candle as a stove. Maybe I’ll try that.

I have decided to bring on a new spin to The Pasty. I suppose you could say I’m going to Americanize it a bit; however my aim is to inform & share the versatility of this wonderful concept of food. The Pasty idea is unique in that you can use any filler imaginable, sweet or savory. Because most of us are not tin miners going to work in the mines, you can do any shape & doll it up with pastry appliqués to create a theme of choice. I have chosen to make a savory Smoked Salmon Breakfast Pasty with a flowery spring theme to hurry the winter away. I’ve got serious OCD when it comes to cookie cutters so don’t be discouraged if you do not have the flower shapes. Convenient sources for interesting cookie cutter shapes in my area of New Jersey are Michael’s, Party City and Target. Or go on line. There are many sites with every kind of shape one could think of. Or you can keep your Pasties plain. No fluff. So there it is.
IT’S PASTY TIME!

THE PASTY FACTORY
SAVORY SPRING THEME BREAKFAST PASTY
Smoked Salmon, Egg & Edam Cheese

MAKES 5 (With 4 ½ Diameter Round Cookie Cutter)

1 Package with 2 Rolled Pie Crust Ready to Bake (Pillsbury or Generic)
6 Ounces Smoked Salmon cut into small pieces
6 Ounces Edam Cheese (Grated)
½ Cup Chopped Scallions
1Tablespoon Cream Cheese (Optional, I add it in for a creamy affect)
½ Cup Chopped Cilantro (Again Optional, I had it so I used it)
1 Tablespoon Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
6 Eggs
1 Egg for Egg Wash
Flour for rolling out pastry
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 large Round Cookie Cutter. I use the 4 ½” diameter however you can go smaller.
4 Flower Shaped Cookie Cutters from large to small for Flower Appliqué. Need five shapes of each (Optional if you don’t have the cookie cutter shapes)

MAKING BREAKFAST PASTRY FILLER
Preheat oven @ 350
In large measuring cup with spout or bowl beat 6 eggs and add Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. Add to medium skillet with melted butter and stir till eggs are scrambled. Add scallions and cream cheese till blended. Remove from heat and add cilantro and Edam cheese.

On flat surface, paint with egg wash one pastry circle. Measure about a half of cup of filler and form into a ball shape and place in the center of the pastry circle. Add another circle directly on top, push down to flatten a little then press edges together all the way around and seal with fork creating a round pocket. Egg wash entire top surface then add pastry flower appliqué starting with large flower cookie cutter shape on the bottom use egg to glue each shape to each other, building from large to small creating a 3 dimensional flower.
Bake for about 20 minutes till brown.