Quassatat with Beef and Peas Filling

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
1kg plain flour
240g butter (or margarine)
2 eggs
80g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt

For the Beef and Peas Filling:
250g tinned peas
250g tinned corned beef, diced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
oil for frying

Method:

Begin with the pastry. Soften the butter then add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to combine after each addition. Now beat in the salt.

Add the flour and mix thoroughly until you have a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead thoroughly (if the dough is too stiff add a little water). Cover the dough with clingfilm and set aside to rest for at least 60 minutes.

Now prepare the filling. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and cook for about 6 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the peas and corned beef, season to taste then bring to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the peas are soft. Take off the heat and set aside to cool before using to fill the pastry.

When the pastry has rested roll out on a floured work surface to about 4mm thick. Use a circular pastry cutter to cut out circles that are large enough to contain a heaped tablespoon of the filling. Add the filling in the centre, and lifting the circle of dough at four points pinch these together so that the filling is enclosed in a bag of dough (this is the difficult part to get right, as the dough has a tendency to relax and unfurl itself from the filling).

Place each dough parcel on a lightly-greased baking tray. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough firms and the filling gently bubbles out to form a light brown crust at the top of the pastries. Serve warm.