OLIVES BAKED INPASTRY/OLIVES CON PASTA

 

Olives Baked in Pastry/Olives con Pasta

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Hope you try these and enjoy them!  DeAnna 

Olives Baked in Pastry

25 olives pitted (pimento stuffed queen olives, black olives, kalamata olives or any variety that you like)

Pastry recipe follows*

butter for  coating a baking sheet

 *Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

4 to 5 Tbsp. ice water

Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with 2 knives until the pieces are small enough to be cut in with a pastry blender. Blend until half the butter is the size of small peas and the rest resemble coarse meal. Add about 1/3 of the water and mix with a fork. Continue adding a little in the refrigerator overnight. dough can be left water at a time and mix together with your hands until the dough holds together and can be formed into a ball. Do not over mix, as this will give you tough dough. For the final blending, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Take 1/2 of the dough and with the heel of your hand rapidly press the dough down and away from you in a firm quick smear of about 6 inches, set aside and smear the other half of the dough. Form the dough into a flat rectangle, and wrap with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least an hour, 2 hours is preferable. The dough can be left in the refrigerator overnight.

Butter a baking sheet and set it aside.

Flour your work surface and your rolling pin lightly and flour your pastry lightly also. Flatten the dough by hitting a rolling pin onto the surface 3 times in one direction and then 3 times in the opposite direction. Roll the dough out and cut into strips 3/4 inch wide and 1 1/2 inches long. The strip should be just long enough to go around an olive. Place an olive crosswise on the end of an end of pastry dough and roll the dough around an olive. the pitted ends of the olives should be visible. 

 Place on your buttered baking sheet about ½ inch apart.

Place in a pre-heat 375 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and a light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve while still warm. 

Potato Croquette - Croccette do Patate

Potato Croquette - Croccette di Patate

                   

I have made these since I was 12. They were my specialty and on holidays i made them for the antipasti course. They make a great side dish also.

Ingredients:

5 russet potatoes

2 tsp. salt for boiling potatoes
3 Tbsp. butter
2 to 3 Tbsp. whipping cream or whole milk
2 eggs
unbleached all-purpose flour for dredging
butter for sauteing (enough to cover the bottom of a large saute pan or skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch

Place cold water in a large add the kosher salt and bring it to a boil. While the water is heating peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. When the water reaches a boil, add the kosher salt and then the potatoes. Partially cover the pot and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the potatoes cook at a low boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the chunks of potato. The potatoes are done when they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water in case the potatoes are too dry. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer, back into the pot that you boiled them in. Place over very low heat making sure that they do not burn. Mix in the butter, and the whole milk or cream (added a little at a time) until thoroughly incorporated, to make the potatoes fluffy and smooth. If they seem too dry add as much as needed of the reserved cooking water. Remove from the heat and add salt and white pepper to taste.
Lightly beat one of the eggs and add it to the potato mixture. set aside until you are ready to saute them.
Beat the remaining egg in a bowl. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Form the potatoes into croquettes using about 1 1/2 Tbsp. for each. They should be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and cylindrical in shape. Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Place each croquette in the flour and coat on all sides. Next place each croquette into the beaten egg and coat on all sides.
When the butter is hot enough to sizzle when a small piece of potato mixture is dropped into it, place the croquettes into the saute pan. Saute until the croquettes are a beautiful golden brown on the bottom. Turn over as necessary with a metal spatula scraping up any browned bits until they are golden brown all over.
Remove from the butter and place on a plate lined with paper toweling to drain and cool a little. Serve them or place on an oven proof platter and keep them warm in the oven.

                                               

These Potato Croquettes can be made with left over mashed potatoes also. They make a great antipari or side dish for Thanksgiving or any other holiday. I am planning on make these again at least once before Thanksgiving, and they will be on the menu for our Thanksgiving dinner. 

A TUSCAN TABLE

A TUSCAN TABLE

The Secrets of Three Generations of Tuscan Family Cooking by Diane (DeAnna) Johnson

                                                  Potato Croquette - Croccette di paate

                                               www.deannastable.wix.com/deannastable

Welcome to my blog!

I want to share with you the warm comfort of good food and good company. I am new to blogging and will be learning along the way. I hope you enjoy the recipes that I post, and please share with me your results and comments.
The first recipe that I am sharing is Potato Croquette - Crocette di patate