A Busy Week!~ An Autumn Stuffed Bread, Salmon Pie, and Lemon Curd Cookies!

Whew!! What a week!

My husband is rolling his eyes at me, but I can't help it. If I'm going to be "cooking- restricted" for a while, I need to get in as much as I can now!

Actually, I'm trying to use up anything that might spoil and have a few things around for drop-in guests :)

First up- a Salmon Leek Pie adapted from an old Gourmet recipe. 

I actually had a salmon filet and about a half pound of tiny scallops left from an appetizer party I catered, so this lovely, flaky pie made a wonderful lunch for a friend who dropped by to keep me company for a while (this no-driving thing is making me crazy!)

As I've said before, this time of year, this household revolves around various sports and kid-related activities. Grab and go type foods work very well on those afternoons and evenings spent on bleachers, in cars, or when hungry teenagers descend on the house. 

This bread, stuffed with sweet butternut squash, tart apples and onions, and salty crispy pancetta lasted about 10 minutes with 3 teens :)

I often make these little tea cookies with a buttercream filling, but today I decided to use a fresh lemon curd.  

These will be posted tonight as a Bonus Recipe on the Bramasole Facebook page- come join us and let me know if you make them! As always, if you don't "do" Facebook and would like this recipe, just email me and I'll be happy to send it along.

Salmon Leek Pie

adapted from an old Gourmet recipe (I wrote Gourmet on the paper I scribbled it on, but no other info- sorry)

4 large leeks

2 tblsp butter

1/2 lb salmon filet, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 pound bay scallops, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

finely grated zest of 1-2 limes

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 large egg

1 pkg (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed

Cut white and pale green parts of leeks into 1/2 inch slices. Wash in a bowl of cold water, lift out, drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Saute leeks in butter till soft and golden. Remove from heat and cool

Toss seafood with dill, zest, salt, pepper, and cooled leeks.

Whisk together egg and 1 tblsp water to make an egg wash

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 sheet pastry into a 10 inch square. Transfer square to a parchment lined cookie sheet. Mound salmon filling in center. Roll second pastry sheet into a 12-13 inch square. Brush outside edges of bottom sheet with egg wash and drape larger square on top- press down to seal edges. Trim a bit of the excess if desired with a pizza cutter and make certain all edges are sealed. Make 4 steam vents in top with the tip of a sharp knife. Brush egg wash over whole pie lightly and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Bake pie for about 30 minutes till puffed and golden. Serve warm or at room temp with a cocktail sauce, if desired. I served it with a sauce made of 1 roasted bell pepper, 1 very small hot red pepper, and 16 ounces of creme fraiche, processed together in a blender

Pattie's Autumn Stuffed Bread

4- 4 1/2 cups flour 

1/4 cup of powdered milk 

1 pkg fast rise dry yeast

1 egg

1 tsp salt of salt

1-1 1/4 cups  water, warm

6 tblsp butter, softened

In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix 4 cups flour, powdered milk, yeast, egg, salt, and 1 cup water. Add more flour or water as necessary to form a soft, but not sticky dough (not TOO soft- you want it to hold together). Now add butter and continue kneading till incorporated- this will take a couple of minutes. Set dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours. In the meantime make filling: I roasted a butternut squas (peeled and cut into chunks). Drizzle chunks with olive oil, mix, and season well with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes till soft and starting to caramelize. Set aside and allow to cool. I sauteed 1 onion, finely chopped and 3 tart apples (peeled, cored,chopped and drizzled with the juice of a lemon) in 2 tblsp butter. Cook just till the onion is soft and translucent- you don't want to make applesauce! Season with salt and pepper. I also cooked some thinly sliced pancetta till crisp and drained on paper towels- bacon would work just fine. I then fried a few sage leaves in the pancetta drippings till crisp- drain. When the dough is risen, divide it in 2. Working with 1 piece at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a large rectangle. Along 1 long edge, place pieces of the butternut

Top with apple/ onion mixture, 1/2 the pancetta, some sage leaves and a handful of grated cheese (I used Fontiago) With a sharp knife, cut slices in the dough from the filling to the edge

Now just roll the filling up right over the sliced dough. Tuck ends under and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with water or an egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Allow to rise again for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I preheated a rectangular baking stone in the oven during the hour the loaves were rising.

Slide the parchment with the loaves on it right onto the stone and bake for 30-40 minutes, till golden. Remove to a rack (right on the parchment. Serve warm or at room temperature

For those of you who've asked, my surgery will be on Tuesday. I am so grateful for all the good thoughts and prayers you've all sent along. I will admit to being a bit nervous (not generally like me)- we've been finding out that I've apparently been VERY lucky so far. I look forward to being my old self again soon

As Always,

Buon Cibo, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie