Duck fat pastry

[seb47]

I just did a search on duck fat (trying to persuade my Mum that it is good for you) - and found that you can make pastry with it, using 50-50 with butter. Worth a try maybe for the mince pies?

[Clair]

Do you mean as an alternative to suet?

[seb47]

No Clair - I think it was suggested as an alternative for lard which is very very bad for you, and not available generally in France. It is a great shortening agent though (the lard).

[Dick Smith]

Do you chill it first, or use it semi-liquid?

[Bernice]

I think it was suggested as an alternative for lard which is very very bad for you, and not available generally in France. It is a great shortening agent though (the lard)

Lard is widely available in France - look for Saindoux.

Bernice

[seb47]

Chilled I should think, so that you could throw it into the blender with the margarine or butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add 1 teaspoon of cold water for every 25g flour - using say 250g flour and 125 g combined fats. (The Home Ec teacher in me coming out here). You should add the water gradually as it's easy to use too much.

[Dick Smith]

[quote user="seb47"]Chilled I should think, so that you could throw it into the blender with the margarine or butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add 1 teaspoon of cold water for every 25g flour - using say 250g flour and 125 g combined fats. (The Home Ec teacher in me coming out here). You should add the water gradually as it's easy to use too much.[/quote]

Blender!

My mother taught me to rub in the fats the proper way - no flour above the second knuckle or it was a whack with the rolling pin! Hands run under the cold tap before beginning.

That was why I was asking, the warmth in the pastry would worry me.

I recently made some pastry using Trex, and it was OK, but very like commercial stuff, very crumbly and hard to roll neatly. Back to half butter, I suspect!

[Suze01]

[quote user="Dick Smith"][quote user="seb47"]Chilled I should think, so that you could throw it into the blender with the margarine or butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add 1 teaspoon of cold water for every 25g flour - using say 250g flour and 125 g combined fats. (The Home Ec teacher in me coming out here). You should add the water gradually as it's easy to use too much.[/quote]

Blender!

My mother taught me to rub in the fats the proper way - no flour above the second knuckle or it was a whack with the rolling pin! Hands run under the cold tap before beginning.

That was why I was asking, the warmth in the pastry would worry me.

I recently made some pastry using Trex, and it was OK, but very like commercial stuff, very crumbly and hard to roll neatly. Back to half butter, I suspect!

[/quote]

Funny, I was going to say exactly the same Dick.  I always rub the butter in by hand.  I made a quiche yesterday and my daughter was saying how light and delicious my pastry was! [:D]

[Clair]

I have never got the hang of doing by hand, so I use one of these:

[Dick Smith]

[quote user="Lisleoise"][quote user="Dick Smith"][quote user="seb47"]Chilled I should think, so that you could throw it into the blender with the margarine or butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, then add 1 teaspoon of cold water for every 25g flour - using say 250g flour and 125 g combined fats. (The Home Ec teacher in me coming out here). You should add the water gradually as it's easy to use too much.[/quote]

Blender!

My mother taught me to rub in the fats the proper way - no flour above the second knuckle or it was a whack with the rolling pin! Hands run under the cold tap before beginning.

That was why I was asking, the warmth in the pastry would worry me.

I recently made some pastry using Trex, and it was OK, but very like commercial stuff, very crumbly and hard to roll neatly. Back to half butter, I suspect!

[/quote]

Funny, I was going to say exactly the same Dick.  I always rub the butter in by hand.  I made a quiche yesterday and my daughter was saying how light and delicious my pastry was! [:D]

[/quote]

I just don't think that food processors get enough air into the crumb. Possibly OK when you want a slightly harder pastry, such as for quiche, but otherwise a bit tough.

[seb47]

Well yes OK, I was going to say use the rubbing in method but thought I might get rude replies!

Happy Christmas all.

[Scooby]

I always use a blender with great results.  Likewise with sponge cake - throw everything in, add half a teaspoon of raising agent for each 50gm of SR raising flour, blitz for a minute and done.  Makes a perfect victoria sponge cake in minutes.  The speed at which my lot eat I would be permanently in the kitchen if I did everything by hand!!