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Petits pâtés de Pézenas
Sweet spiced lamb pies
Petits pâtés de Pézenas: small spool-shaped lamb pies with brown sugar and lemon zest
FrenchPézenas, the old Languedoc town of Molière, is famous for these little pies shaped like cotton reels, sold warm from its bakeries all winter and especially around Christmas. Local legend links them to the Indian cooks of Lord Clive, who stayed nearby in 1768, which would explain the unexpected sweet-savoury filling of minced lamb, brown sugar and lemon zest. They have a crisp, sturdy hot-water crust and a juicy, gently sweet centre with a hint of spice. Eat them warm as a starter, with a green salad, or as a mid-morning snack the way Piscénois do. Chef's tip: shape the pastry while it is still warm and supple; once it cools it cracks instead of folding.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the filling
- 14 oz lamb shoulder mincenot too lean
- 1 ¾ oz soft light brown sugar
- 1 unwaxed lemonfinely grated zest
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
For the hot-water pastry
- 14 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 oz butterdiced
- ¾ cup water
To glaze
- 1 eggbeaten
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz lamb shoulder mince, 1 ¾ oz soft light brown sugar, 1 unwaxed lemon, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and ¼ tsp grated nutmeg in a bowl with your hands until well combined. Cover and chill while you make the pastry.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Put 14 oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl.
Step 3: Bring 4 oz butter and ¾ cup water to the boil in a small pan, until the butter has melted. Pour it onto the flour and stir with a wooden spoon, then knead briefly into a smooth, warm dough.
5 minStep 4: Keep a quarter of the dough covered for the lids. Divide the rest into 12 pieces and roll each one into a strip about 16 cm long and 5 cm high. Wrap each strip round a 4 cm glass or cutter base and pinch the seam, then press out a small disc of dough for each base and seal it on. Keep the dough walls about 4 mm thick: thinner walls collapse in the oven, which is the usual reason these pies lose their spool shape. The usual mistake is letting the pastry cool before shaping: it then cracks at the joins, so keep the unused dough covered and warm.
25 minStep 5: Fill each case with the lamb mixture, pressing it down lightly. Roll out the reserved dough, cut 12 lids slightly smaller than the cases, press them onto the filling and pinch the edges. Make a small hole in each lid.
Step 6: Brush with 1 egg and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the filling bubbles through the hole. The filling should reach 160°F in the centre.
30 minStep 7: Leave for 5 minutes to settle, then serve warm.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 500 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does petits pâtés de Pézenas take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of soft light brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tsp honey or golden syrup per 100g.
- What can I use instead of unwaxed lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
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