Easy Lemon Squares

I came home from school yesterday to find the house filled with the scent of these easy-to-make yet simply irresistable lemon squares. Easy is the operative word in this recipe with a simple 3 ingredient crispy shortbread bottom and a simple whisked together lemon custard top. By the end of the day, the entire batch had disappeared.

Using a pastry cutter or in a food processor blend together:

1 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour

Press evenly into the bottom of a greased and parchment paper lined 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F ( 325 degrees F if you are using glass bakeware)

For the lemon topping simply whisk together:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
zest of two lemons, very finely chopped
juice of 2 lemons

Allow the topping to sit for about 10 minutes before whisking together well and pouring over the baked shortbread base.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about another 20- 25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the custard appears to be set. Cool completely. Sprinkle with icing sugar when cool or try adding  a meringue topping.

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The Best Crème Brulée

Many people consider this the ultimate "fancy" dessert and find it an intimidating prospect to attempt to make but it really is quite a simple process. The caramelized crackled sugar top might take a little practice with a kitchen torch but that really is the hardest part. I do recommend getting a small butane torch to caramelize the sugar because it gives much better control over the heat and can be much faster if you have several guests to serve. Alternatively you can use your ovens broiler but the heat can be very uneven under some broilers. One trick I used to use was putting the ramekins around the edge of a pizza pan with the edge of the pan slightly sticking out over the front of the high rack it is resting on. Wearing an oven mitt, and with the oven door open you can then constantly and slowly spin the pizza pan in a circular motion to more evenly caramelize the sugar.

Here is a suggested serving combo idea that I really like. I add a dollop of raspberry compote and a warm palmier to the crème brulée for a great flavor combination and the palmier adds a little extra crunch to this great indulgence.

I have tried several crème brulée recipes, many with different combinations of milk and cream but in my experience you have to go "whole hog" with this dessert and embrace the indulgence of using only cream which I think makes for a richer, silkier texture and taste. I am using good quality vanilla extract in this recipe but if you have a vanilla bean, feel free to split it lengthwise scrape out the seeds and add them along with the scraped pod to the cream mixture as it scalds.

Makes 6


3 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup white sugar

Over medium-low heat scald the cream and sugar to almost boiling, but do not boil. Whisk together in a measuring cup:


6 large or extra large egg yolks 

Temper the egg yolks by adding a ladle full  of scalded milk to them while whisking constantly. Add this tempered mixture back into the scalded milk , whisking constantly.Cook this mixture over low heat for another 2 to three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in:

2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt


Pour the cream mixture evenly among 6, eight oz ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and fill the dish with boiling water until it reaches about 1/2 way up the ramekins. Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 300 degree F oven for about 30 -35 minutes or until the centers of the custards are set.

Cool completely in the fridge before evenly sprinkling 1 rounded tablespoon of white sugar over the surface of each custard. Evenly and constantly pass a butane torch on medium flame in a circular motion over the sugar until it melts and turns golden brown. Be careful, the sugar can burn quickly at this point. Once it starts to turn brown, stop, the residual heat will finish the process.

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Cinnamon Palmiers with Raspberry Compote

Today's recipe is a simple to make last minute dessert idea using ready made frozen puff pastry. I sometimes serve these as a dessert hors d'ouevre at the end of a cocktail party.  I  also like to serve palmiers with simple desserts like fruit salad, homemade ice cream or my favorite, crème brulée; it's just a little something extra to give a simple elegant touch. These can also be made without the cinnamon if you prefer.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, about 12 inches square
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the entire surface of the dough. Lightly run over the pastry with a rolling pin only enough to press the sugar into the dough. Flip the dough over and do the same thing on the other side. 

Begin folding the dough from two opposite edges evenly toward the center, making an equal number of folds from each side and meeting in the middle, then fold the two sides together and cut this roll into about 20- 24 slices. 

Place the slices evenly apart on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Chill for about 20 minutes before popping them into a preheated 400 degree oven and baking until evenly golden brown, about 15 -18 minutes. Allow the palmiers to cool on the baking sheet before serving. Serve alone or with raspberry  compote for dipping.


Raspberry Compote


2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1 ounce water


Slowly simmer the berries and sugar over low heat for about 10 minutes. Dissolve the corn starch in the water and slowly pour into the boiling berries stirring constantly until thickened. Serve warm with warm palmiers.

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Braised Beef Oven Chili

Spouse seems to be on a bit of a quest to make the perfect bowl of chili. She does several great versions of great chili, including the recently featured 15 Bean Sausage Chili which incorporates some spicey Italian sausage into the mix.

This is a real comfort food version of chili that is totally made in the oven, making it a perfect meal idea on a day like today when we are in the middle of a snow storm that promises to dump about 12 inches of the white stuff on us before it lets up.

The difference in this recipe is that it uses a beef roast, that is slowly braised to tender perfection in the spicey tomato based sauce. Imagine a slow simmered thick bowl of chili with pieces of pot roast in it... it's just an amazing comfort food meal.

Serves 6 - 8

2 lb beef roast

Cheap cuts are fine and are actually best for braising. I've used a lean outside round roast here but a blade or cross rib roast would work fine too.

Season the roast with salt and pepper and brown it all over in a hot cast iron skillet with a little vegetable oil, then transfer the browned roast to a medium sized covered roasting pan or large covered casserole dish. Then add:
 
4 cloves minced garlic
1 small red onion diced
6 oz beer
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can tomato sauce
2 large tomatoes diced
1 large roasted red pepper, peeled and diced small
½ to 1 whole jalapeño pepper finely minced (optional)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
5 tbsp chilli powder (more or less to taste)
3 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp ground cumin
6 tbsp molasses
1 can kidney beans (or 1 1/2 cups of your favorite cooked beans)

Stir all together then cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and then the cover to create a tighter seal. Place in a 325 degree F oven for 2  to 2 1/2 hours or until the sauce is thickened and the beef is falling apart. Remove the roast from the pan, trim any fat and break the roast up into small chunks like when making pulled pork.  Return the beef pieces to the chili and stir in. You can also stir in a little freshly chopped cilantro at the end as well if you like.

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Top 10 Rock Recipes!

In looking at Rock Recipes site statistics the other day I searched to see what were the most popular recipes I've posted to the blog in the past 3 1/2 years ago. I probably could have guessed most of them based upon the feedback I have received through the blog and our Rock Recipes Facebook Group which has grown to almost 4500 members. There were a couple of surprises in the list too, so on the occasion of our 3.5 year anniversary on the web, I've compiled a top ten list of the most searched and visited recipes during that time. Enjoy!

NUMBER 10:

Blueberry Balsamic Pork Chops - Pan seared juicy pork loin chops with a simple blueberry balsamic sauce.

NUMBER 9:

Raspberry White Chocolate Truffle Tuxedo Cake - a tower of chocolate and raspberry decadence. This one has been my birthday cake of choice on  more than one occasion.

NUMBER 8:

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies - No surprise that this one made the list; the feedback on this one was immediate and very appreciative.

NUMBER 7:

Raisin Tea Buns - A traditional Newfoundland favorite just like Nan used to make. I've heard form Newfoundlanders all over the world who have sought out this recipe as a reminder of home.

NUMBER 6:

Raspberry Brie Panini - a household favorite.  A perfect lunch but we even chop them up in small pieces and serve them as hors d'ouevres at cocktail parties and they are always a hit. Great with partridgeberries too!

NUMBER 5:

Cherry Pound Cake - another Newfoundland tradition, especially during the Christmas season. This recipe from old family friend Heather French, has been used in our family for decades.

NUMBER 4:

Homemade White Bread - this one evokes childhood memories of the great bread bakers in my family. 

NUMBER 3:

The Best Vanilla Cake This recipe is a relative newcomer but went straight to the top 3 recipes very quickly. I guess not everyone is a chocolate fiend like me. ;)

NUMBER 2:

The Perfect Snowball - This recipe of my Grandmother Morgan and traditional Newfoundland iconic recipe, has been consistently the one that I have received the most feedback from readers on since it was posted in the first few months of this site's existence. This soft, fudgy treat is often badly executed into a hard crystallized sugar mistake. This recipe guides you in how to make them perfectly.

NUMBER 1:

Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings - It was a bit of a surprise to me that this recipe had quietly and steadily risen to the top of the heap as the most read recipe in the past 3 1/2 years. Crispy battered and deep fried wings get tossed in sticky honey garlic glaze before serving. Judging by the huge volumes that get consumed at parties and summer back deck get-togethers at our house, I can attest that they are completely addictive.

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French Focaccia Bread

So, what's French Focaccia Bread? It's what happens when you discover leftover French Bread dough in the fridge and decide to throw a few ingredients at it that I normally add to an Italian bread like foccacia. The result was a very flavorful, crispy, chewy bread that would be perfect beside any number of things from a great lasagna or other pasta to a simple great salad for lunch...and it looks gorgeous on the table too!

Makes 2 large breads. Each serves about 8.

4 cups flour (for whole wheat focaccia use 2 cups of white flour and 2 cups of whole wheat flour)

2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsp instant yeast
2tsp sea salt

Add all ingredients except 1 cup of the flour to the bowl. Using the dough hook on your electric mixer, mix together well and allow to run on low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will be loose and sticky but don't worry about that, just allow it to rise in a warm spot for a couple of hours or more before turning it out into a bread board and kneading in the other 1 cup of flour by hand. You may have to use a little more or a little less flour depending factors like local humidity.

Divide into two portions and roll out into about 10 inch rounds. Push into the dough:

cherry tomato halves
pitted kalamata olives

Brush the entire surface of the dough with garlic olive oil (Garlic Olive Oil recipe here) then sprinkl;e over the entire surface

sea salt
black pepper
fresh thyme or chopped fresh rosemary
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Allow the dough to rise on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet until doubled in size. Bake in a very hot oven fromn 425 - 450 degrees for about a half hour or until evenly golden brown.

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Perfect Pizza Sauce

So isn't any decent tomato sauce a good pizza sauce? I guess that's a matter of opinion but over the years I've come to appreciate the simple perfection of this recipe. I like pizza sauce that has  a full, yet just slightly sweet tomato taste, has plenty of garlic, is a little spicey and includes the complimentary herb flavours of oregano and ground fennel seed. To me that is the perfect flavour combination for almost anything you can put on top of a pizza. I rarely add fresh tomato to the top of pizza, preferring instead to add diced tomatoes near the end of the cooking time of the sauce to add a bit of a chunky texture.

During the height of the summer tomato season, this is a great sauce to make from vine fresh, brilliant red tomatoes but at this time of year, I rely on a good quality canned diced tomato to create this terrific sauce and it still turns out excellent.

In a heavy bottom pot heat over medium heat

3 tbsp olive opil
6 cloves minced garlic

Add:

1 32 oz can diced tomatoes (remove one cup without juice for the end)
1 19 ounce can plain tomato sauce
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes (more or less to taste)
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground fennel seed
2 tbsp dry oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer over low heat for about half an hour before tossing in the remaining diced tomatoes and simmering for another few minutes.

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Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

One of my uncomplicated guilty pleasures is a simple nutmeg scented cake donut, fresh from the bakery. I have made cake donuts before but let's face it, it is a lot of trouble. One of the recipes that has been making the rounds of a few food blogs that I follow is this terrific recipe for muffins that pays homage to the simple but perfect cake donut. My version is a little richer and lighter than a couple that I tried; including whipping cream in place of milk, punching up the nutmeg flavour a little and using half cake flour for lightness.

This one bowl, simple muffin recipe, served warm out of the oven, will be the star of any weekend brunch.

Makes 8 large or 12 mini muffins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Use a baking spray to coat the muffin tins. Those in the photo were baked in silicone mini muffin pans which work great.

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cake and pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2  tsp freshly ground nutmeg
¼ c vegetable oil
¾ c whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together the flours, salt, baking powder and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together until very light in color, the egg and sugar. Add the oil and whisk in well. Then add the whipping cream until well blended. Fold in the dry ingredients by hand just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the batter. Do not overmix.

Bake for about 13 minutes for mini muffins or 15-18 minutes for larger muffins. Watch them carefully and as soon as a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, take them out. It is very easy to overbake mini muffins especially. Let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Brush the outsides of the muffins with a little melted butter and roll them in:


1/2 cup sugar, mixed with
1 tsp cinnamon

Serve warm.


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Crispy Honey Orange Pork Medallions

Here's a quick and tasty meal for any day of the week. I like to prepare the sauce first so that the crispy pork medallions can be tossed in it immediately when they come out of the hot oil.

I like this one a bit spicy but you can reduce the chili flakes or omit them altogether if you like. If you'd like to reduce the fat in this recipe, you can just stir fry the pork tenderloin medallions in a little oil and garlic and then adding the sauce to them.

Serves 4- 6

Sauce:

In a small pot heat
2 tablespoons peanut oil

Add

4 cloves minced garlic

cook until softened but not browned, then add:

1 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup orange juice
zest of 2 oranges, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1 teasppoon chili flakes (optional or adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Simmer until the sauce reduces to the consistency of a glaze. Toss in

1 large bell pepper, chopped

Simmer for an additional minute before tossing the sauce with the cooked pork medallions.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of pork tenderloin cut into 1/4 inch thick medallions

Sift together thoroughly

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tbsp five spice powder

Egg wash; whisk together

2 eggs
4 tbsp water

Heat 1/2 inch oil over medium heat in a large heavy skillet.

Season the pork medallions with salt and pepper. Coat the pieces in the flour mixture before dipping them in the egg wash and then back into the flour mixture again. Drop into the hot oil and cook for about 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Serve over steamed rice or Chinese noodles.

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Perfect Onion Gravy

We recently had a little dinner party to celebrate Spouse's birthday, where we served a prime rib roast with this delicious onion gravy. The secret to this gravy is the same as in the recently featured St. John's Stout and Steak Soup; that secret is slowly and carefully caramelized onions.

As the 2 photos above show, the volume of the onions gets greatly reduced through the slow cooking processes, concentrating the flavor and bringing out the natural sweetness. This gravy can be made with any kind of stock including vegetable stock for a vegetarian option.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
3 quarts/liters low sodium or sodium free beef stock (or chicken or vegetable stock)
1 1/2 pounds chopped Spanish onion
2 large shallots chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground thyme (or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme)
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to season

Begin by simmering the stock until it is almost reduced in volume by half.

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan and add the garlic and onions. Cook until the onions soften, caramelize and turn golden brown, tossing constantly every 2 or 3 minutes. I reduce the heat several times during this process. This can take considerable time; a half hour or longer. The more you caramelize the onions the better the flavor of your gravy.

Add the caramelized onion to the reduced beef stock along with  the nutmeg & thyme. Simmer for only a few minutes before thickening the gravy by whisking in a slurry made from a couple of tablespoons of flour dissolved into 3/4 cup water. At this point you can serve the gravy with whole pieces of onion or if you prefer, you can blend it  to a smoother consistency using an immersion blender or in small batches in a food processor. Makes about 2 liters nd freezes well in small airtight plastic containers.

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Pineapple Pecan Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 cup drained pineapple tidbits (roughly chopped and then pressed through a seive to remove the excess liquid)
1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla and oil until light and fluffy.
Stir in the grated carrots, pineapple and nuts.
Fold in the dry ingredients by hand.
Stir only until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the batter. Do not over mix.
Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

UPDATE: I received so many requests both on the site and on the Facebook group for the frosting recipe that I am adding it to the botttom of this post. I do like cream cheese frosting on carrot cake but I like this one best with a good buttercream frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil. Continue to
boil over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on
a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile beat together to stiff peaks

6 egg
whites at room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Slowly pour in the sugar syrup in a thin stream, hitting the side of the bowl and
not the beaters. Continue beating the frosting for 10-15 minutes until the
meringue is completely cool. When completely cool, slowly begin to add, a few
tablespoons at a time

2 cups softened unsalted butter

Beat until smooth after each addition. When properly done,  the texture of this frosting should resemble whipped cream. If storing in the fridge, you will want to bring the cake out to come up to room temperature before serving.
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15 Bean Sausage Chili

Spouse is the household chili expert and yesterday in a bit of a freezer cleanout she added some hot Italian Sausage to her beef chilii along with a healthy 15 bean mix instead of the standard kidney beans. I think this is her best chili yet!

Serves 8

Begin by soaking 1 cup of 15 bean dry mixed beans in water overnight. Simmer in salted boiling water for about 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked. Drain and rinse the beans.

1 1/2 pounds sirloin lean ground beef
1 1/2 pounds hot Italian sausage
4 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1 small red onion diced
6 oz beer
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can tomato sauce
2 large tomatoes diced
1 large roasted red pepper, peeled and diced small
½ to 1 whole jalapeño pepper finely minced (optional)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
5 tbsp chilli powder (more or less to taste)
3 tbsp ground cumin
6 tbsp molasses

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot. Toss in lean ground beef and sausage; brown the meat for about 5 minutes. In the last couple of minutes browning add the minced garlic and diced onion.
Next add the beer and simmer for 5 minutes before adding the cooked beans and the remainder of the ingredients except for the red peppers and fresh tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to minimum. Cover and slow simmer the chilli for 2 or more hours, stirring about every 20 minutes. Add the fresh diced tomatoes and roasted red pepper in the final 1/2 hour. Serve with grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips or crusty bread.

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Smoked Paprika & Cheddar Burgers

I have to admit that I am mostly a burger purist. I do not like a burger with a lot of filler like bread or cracker crumbs. I've always preferred a simply seasoned, lean, grilled, pure beef burger that leaves the natural flavor of the beef front and center. I like to vary the condiments and toppings to that natural burger to create different flavor combinations in  my burgers.

In this case, however, I did not regret a little experimentation with the seasonings and flavors in this burger. It was in a word, outstanding. I've added grated cheddar to burger meat before but in this case I cut the cheddar into small 1 cm cubes and I like that method much better as the cheese forms little melted pockets that you bite into. The smoked paprika, roasted garlic and toasted sesame oil add a fantastic smokey deliciousness to this cast iron cooked and crusted burger. I have shown it here with basic condiments and a couple of slices of red onion. This burger is so full of flavor that it doesn't need a lot of toppings but it is also very good with tomato and bacon.

For each burger combine:

6 ounces lean ground beef
1 1/2 ounces old cheddar, cut in 1 cm cubes
pinch kosher salt 
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 clove roasted garlic, mashed into a paste
2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)

Form into patties and cook in a hot, lightly oiled cast iron pan until well done (internal temperature with a meat thermometer should read 160 degrees F or higher. Serve on toasted crusty rolls.

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Chocolate Toffee Chip Thumbprint Cookies

Spouse got the idea for these tasty little thumbprint cookies from a picture in a magazine. We decided to use our own tried and true thumbprint cookie recipe and adapt it to include the toffee chips and chocolate ganache filling. The result was a little too good and these were scarfed down within hours. Next time I'll make a bigger batch.

Makes about 30 cookies

Cream together until light and fluffy

1/2 cup salted butter

1/2 cup sugar

Add 

1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

yolk of one large egg

Beat until smooth.

Fold in until a soft dough forms: 

1&1/4 cups flour 

1/2 cup toffee candy chips (I use Skor brand)

Form into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make a dent in each ball with your tumb or the handle of a wooden spoon. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. You may have to take them out of the oven in the last few minutes and repress the centers with a wooden spoon to maintain the centers deep enough to fill with the chocolate.

Cool completely on a wire rack before spooning chocolate ganache  into the center of the cookies.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup scalded whipping cream

1 tablespoon honey

Pour the scalded cream over the chocolate chips in a warm bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes before stirring in the honey until smooth. Spoon into the center of the cookies and allow to cool completely.

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Easy Turkey Pot Pie

Today's recipe is a leftover legend. This great pot pie, aside form the readily available frozen puff pastry on top, was completely composed of leftovers from a turkey and roasted vegetable dinner what we had the night before. If you don't have leftover turkey, one of those supermarket rotisserie chickens is another quick shortcut to making a great chicken pot pie too.
As with many comfort food meals at our house, we serve roasted potatoes on the side rather than, in this case, adding plain potatoes to the pie. You can find the recipe for those here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/02/perfect-roast-potato.html

Serves 4 -6

1 to 2 pounds of leftover roast turkey cut in small pieces
3 to 4 cups turkey gravy
2 cups roasted carrot and parsnip pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
1 tbsp dry savoury
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 to six cloves roasted garlic, mashed into a paste and added to the gravy
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

If you don't have leftover roasted vegetables, simply place parsnip and carrot pieces in a glass casserole dish, toss with

salt
pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
several cloves garlic, still in the skins

Roast at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until the veggies are fork tender. Remove form oven and allow to cool completely.

To the casserole dish with the roasted vegetables, add the leftover turkey pieces, pepper, savoury, green peas, and cover everything with cold gravy. Roll out a sheet of puff pastry to the size of the casserole dish and  place over the surface. Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash and pierce the pastry in several places with the tip of a sharp knife.
It is best to prepare this dish cold so that the puff pastry will bake properly. In particular the gravy that is used just under the pastry should come straight from the fridge.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes to a half hour or until the pastry is evenly golden brown and the filling is bubbling underneath. Serve with roasted potatoes on the side.

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