42 | YOU Magazine
Hot-smoked salmon and courgette filo
Everyone loves the crunch of filo pastry when it’s cooked. The lack of fat in the pastry makes it necessary to add some, though I tend to add just the one layer per three layers of pastry which was not how I was taught initially “back in the day”. I don’t think that it alters the finished product at all and it does save you much ‘hoopla’, which I think puts people off from making it more frequently. By using cooked fish or chicken it speeds the process from bench to oven to table. This is quick and easy and, again, change the ingredients as you see fit. Successful combinations are bacon and mushrooms/smoked chicken, camembert and cranberry or a smoked chicken, curry, mango relish with the grated courgette, which my brother Glen used to make in his restaurant. 125g cream cheese 3T pesto (your choice of flavour)/relish or salsa 2 grated courgettes, lightly sprinkled with Salt and put over a sieve for 15 to 30 min. Squeeze excess liquid from courgettes until dry. 500g hot smoked fish, flaked Packet of filo pastry Light oil and pastry brush Salt and pepper
– Heat cream cheese in microwave for approximately 30 seconds to soften, then add courgettes, smoked fish, pesto and season to taste, mixing well. – Preheat oven to 220°C. – Take pastry out of bag and, working quickly, lay out all the pastry sheets evenly on top of each other, with short side at bottom of bench to you. Lightly brush oil over top layer of pastry. On bottom of pastry make a chubby log shape about 3cm from bottom, leaving ends free by about 2-3cm. This allows you to wrap from the bottom to cover the filling, then bringing in the sides. Oil the exposed pastry again, then roll up so it forms a bon bon shape. – Put on to a tray that has been covered with baking paper. Continue this until your mix is finished. – For a shiny glaze, whisk an egg and a tablespoon of water and brush over finished parcels and top with poppy or sesame seeds. – Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and
golden on the outside. This is lovely with a light green salad. Rules for filo: – The size and shape of this is totally up to you – the bigger, the fewer parcels you make obviously though if they are too large with filling they will burst through the pastry – I would use four sheets – anymore and they will become too doughy as they won’t be able to bake. – For smaller ones for nibbles use two sheets and cut size of pastry accordingly. Try to be consistent in size so that they don’t look odd. – Preheat oven to a high heat as you want the pastry to be crunchy, so it goes directly into a hot oven.