Pastel (Fried Pastry)
Pastéis are super delicious and best enjoyed while they’re still warm and crispy. This recipe is adapted from Samba by Brazilian-born Giselle Makinde Pereira Goncalves, the latest in the Nine Bean Rows series published by Blasta Books
SERVES
50
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
40
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
5
MINUTES
Ingredients
690g flour
80g extra virgin olive oil
40g cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane liquor – available in good wine shops and some supermarkets) – we used honey
20g salt
280-300g water
Method
Put the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the extra virgin olive oil, honey and salt.Gradually add the water while using your fingertips to mix the liquid ingredients with the flour and knead briefly until it comes together.
Cover the dough with a clean tea-towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 20g-30g pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll and stretch out each portion into a paper-thin sheet (7.5-10cm). The thinner the dough, the crisper the pastel will be when fried. You may need a little extra flour for rolling.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 180-190°C. If you don’t have a deep-fryer, fill a high-sided saucepan no more than half full of oil.
Line a baking tray with kitchen paper, then set a wire rack on top.
Working in batches, add a few pastéis and fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time, until they are golden and crispy.
Tip out onto the wire rack to let any excess oil drain off while you cook the rest. Toss in caster sugar and eat while warm.
