I haven’t made pasties in ages and got a craving for them today. I wanted something different, not just the same old thing. Moroccan pasties? Why not? They ended up tasting great and whats better than hand held food in the summer! Grab a pasty and a cold drink and your all set for lunch.

MAKES: 5 pasties

INGREDIENTS:

PASTIE DOUGH:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 5/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, frozen, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

FILLING:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter (or broth for lower fat)
• 1 cup broth
• 1 rounded teaspoon Ras El Hanout
• 1/2 lb left over meat (chicken, beef, pork, veal, etc., about 1 1/2 – 2 cups, chopped or shredded in very small pieces)
•  1 teaspoon flour
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

PASTIE DOUGH:

1. In a food processor place flour and shortening and butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Transfer mixture to bowl.
3. Mix 6 tablespoons ice water and vinegar in small bowl; pour over flour mixture.
4. Stir with fork until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
5. Gather dough into 2 balls; flatten each into disk.
6. Wrap each in plastic and chill 30 minutes.
7. Unwrap, roll to 1/8 thick and cut the dough into 5 or 6 inch circles.
8. Rewrap the circles andwith a tiny bit of flour between them, re-wrap and keep in the fridge until filling is ready.

PASTIE FILLING:

1. Sauté onion in butter (or broth).
2. Add the broth (saving a couple of tablespoons), seasonings and meat.
3. Simmer until the liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup
4. In a small bowl mix remaining broth and flour into a paste.
5. Add to meat mixture, stir until thickened and add parsley.
6. Place 2 tablespoons of meat mixture in the center of each dough circle.
7. Fold the dough over the filling and seal the edge by pressing a fork around the edges.
8. Place on baking sheet and bake at 375F for about 20 mins or until lightly golden.
9. Allow the pasties to cool on the baking sheet then dig in.

Tags: Lunch, Moroccan, Pasties, Ras El Hanout