SAUERKRAUT and MUSHROOM PASTIES

Does your homes smell like Christmas yet?We've got our Christmas tree up, smell of fresh spruce fills the house, fire on(electric ;) - but still nice! ;)), candles lit everywhere.It's warm and cosy.I love Christmas - there is something so magical about it ;) Different scents remain me of different times in my life, some even take me back to my childhood in a split second, when as a little girl I puttered around the kitchen,poking my nose in every single pot.....it smelled so christmassy back then ;) And I make sure that my home smell of Christmas now too ;)

Most of polish Christmas dishes are made of sauerkraut and wild mushrooms and I associate their scent with this time of the year ;) These pasties render the taste of Polish Christmas perfectly.The filling is very time-consuming but it's worth every effort ;) It's very important to use dry, wild mushroom - they make this dish!

RECIPE:

for 26 pasties

REMEMBER:allow more time to prepare the sauerkraut and mushroom filling.

INGREDIENTS:

PASTRY:

480g bread flour + 50g for kneading

320 ml tepid water

30g fresh yeast or 15g dry

3 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar

2 tbsp poppy seeds + few pinches to sprinkle on the tops

1 egg

butter for greasing

FILLING:

0.5kg sauerkraut(I do recommend polish one as it's not as vinegary as the one I bought in the UK)

50g dry wild mushrooms

2 medium onions,chopped finely

black pepper

salt

2 tbsp olive oil, for frying

1.You can prepare filling the night before,because it's very time-consuming. Rinse sauerkraut under a tepid water in a colander,place it in a medium pan and cover with cold water.Bring to boil and simmer for around 1 1/2 -2 hours(until soft) with a lid on.Strain, let it cool down, drain the remaining water out and chopped finely(some sauerkraut might already be chopped).

2.Soak dry mushrooms in water for few hours until soft.After this time put it over a medium heat and bring it to boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 1 hour.Strain, cool down and chop finely.If you are using fresh mushrooms, chop them finely and fry.

3. Fry onions with olive oil until golden.

4.Place sauerkraut, mushroom and onions into one bowl and season well with salt and pepper - this is your filling DONE ;)

5.PASTRY: Crumble fresh/dry yeast with pinch of sugar, 40 ml lukewarm water and a 1-2 tbsp flour.Stir and leave to foam for 10-15 minutes

6.Mix sifted flour and salt in a bowl, add olive oil and poppy seeds.Add yeast mixture and the rest of lukewarm water.Mix with a wooden spoon, when the mixture comes together start kneading it using your hands.Add some more flour if the dough is too sticky.Knead for around 5-10 minutes until the dough is very soft.(trust me you will feel the difference). Cover the bowl with a cotton tea towel and put to rise somewhere warm, but NOT hot, until dough has doubled in size - it takes around 1 hour.(remember dough doesn't like draughts!)

7.Preheat the oven 190 C/170 C fan /Gas 5

8.When the dough doubled in size, put it on a lightly floured surface and knead for another 2-3 minutes,roll it out and cut 7,5 cm circles and place on a well greased baking tray(sprinkled with semolina but not necessary)

9.Place some of the filling on each circle, fold into a half-moons and pinch edges, forming a well-sealed crescent.Transfer each one onto a baking tray,brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

10.Bake for 35 minutes, cover with aluminium foil if get too brown.