Cauliflower cheese pasties

These mini pasties are perfect for anyone who loves cheese – creamy cauliflower cheese filling wrapped in a crunchy cheesy crust! Any kind of cheese can be used in the filling, as long as it melts well. Poh & Co. 2

• makes

  18

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Pastry

• 380 g plain flour
• 100 g butter, chopped
• 90 g copha, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 250 ml (1 cup) water
• 125 g tasty cheese, roughly grated
• 1 egg, lightly whisked

 

Filling

• 1 head of cauliflower (550g), broken into large florets
• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• salt
• 120 g butter
• 2 leeks, white part only, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 625 ml (2½ cups) milk
• ½ vegetable stock cube (not used on screen but left in recipe)
• 200 g tasty cheese, roughly grated

Instructions

To make the pastry, place the flour, butter, copha, salt and cheese  in a food processor and process until they combine to resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add 125 ml (½ cup) of the water and process for another 4 seconds, then add the remaining water and process for 2 more seconds only; do not over-mix or the pastry will be tough. Transfer the pastry to a bowl; it will look all lumpy with wet sections and dry sections. Bring the pastry together to form a ball, then leave to rest.

Preheat the oven to 190˚C. 

Place the cauliflower in a roasting pan, drizzle with the olive oil and season with a little salt. Roast for 10 minutes or until the edges are dark brown. Stir the cauliflower and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until it is soft but not mushy. Set aside to cool.

Place the butter in a saucepan and melt over medium heat, then add the leek and cook for 10 minutes or until golden. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for another 1 minute. Stirring continuously, gradually add the milk and stock cube and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. 

Roll the pastry on a lightly floured workbench until 3 mm thick, then cut out about eighteen, 12-15 cm rounds.

Add the cauliflower to the leek mixture and stir to mix, then add the cheese and season to taste with salt. 

Place heaped tablespoons of the cauliflower mixture on the centre of each pastry round, fold the round over and either crimp the edge by hand or press with a fork to seal.

Line a baking tray with baking paper, then top with the pasties. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Photography, styling and food preparation by china squirrel.

Poh & Co. 2 Thursdays at 8.30pm on SBS.

View recipes and more from Poh & Co. on our program page.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.