Crispy parcels with leek ribbons

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Dominic Chapman solves your catering problems with these delicious pastry parcels, providing options for both meat and meat-free fillings. Serve these as a snack or canapé at a Christmas party or family gathering, and guests can opt for the pork and sage version, or go vegetarian with butternut squash and goat's cheese.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pork filling

Butternut squash filling

Parcels

Equipment

  • Pastry brush

Method

1
For the butternut squash filling, coat the pepper with oil and roast in an oven set to 200˚C/gas mark 6, turning every 10 minutes until the skin blisters and browns
2
Once cooked, place in a metal bowl and cover with cling film, leave to sweat
3
Peel and roughly dice the squash, swede and turnip and crush the garlic
4
Melt the butter in a pan over a low-medium heat. and add the onion, crushed garlic and a pinch of cumin
5
Once the onion begins to soften, add the butternut squash, swede and turnip and continue to sweat
6
Once the vegetables are cooked but still firm, remove from the heat and season. Pour the contents of the pan into a large bowl, mash to create a rustic filling for the parcels and leave to cool
7
Peel and de-seed the pepper. Dice and add to the mix along with the chopped sage. Set aside while you make the pork filling
8
For the pork filling, place a pan over a low-medium heat and melt the butter. Add the diced onions and sweat until soft but not coloured. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool
9
Combine the pork mince, dried sage, sweated onion, salt and cayenne pepper (if using) in a large bowl. Mix well
10
Use a pastry brush to thinly and evenly coat a sheet of filo pastry with butter. Place another directly on top and brush with butter again. Fold in half and then cut into 4 evenly-sized squares
11
Repeat step 10 three more times to make 16 squares in total
12
Arrange a heaped teaspoon of the veggie filling in the centre of the first 8 squares. Top each tablespoon of filling with a small dollop of goat's cheese
13
Fold in 2 opposite sides of pastry to meet in the middle and seal with a little melted butter. Repeat with the other 2 sides, sealing again to form a parcel. Turn over and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper
14
Continue until you have 8 veggie parcels. Repeat this process with the pork filling, ensuring you know which ones are which by using a pencil to mark the baking paper accordingly
15
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4
16
Brush the tops of each parcel with a little more melted butter and place into the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and place on kitchen towel to absorb any fat
17
Meanwhile, cut the leek in half lengthways, trimming the top and bottom. Remove the first 3 layers and place into boiling water for 2 minutes
18
Drain and refresh in ice-cold water. Strain again and pat-dry with kitchen towel. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1/2cm thick ribbons
19
Tie the leek ribbons decoratively around the parcels and serve immediately

Dominic Chapman's passion for food is in the blood: his family has owned and run the highly acclaimed Castle Hotel in Taunton for over 60 years.

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