When the weather is changing, and it’s get chillier outside, all of us are looking for something warmer. We are looking for more complex flavors, that bringing the depth of spices and levels of hearty meats and seasonal root vegetables. With the days getting shorter and colder, I always look for new recipes, to fill the void of summer leaving. To the times when the powder dusted beignet, will be just fine, but now, I’m craving something much heavier, in a sense of filling.
So let’s look through some of those savory pastry recipes, and let’s bake something delicious.
Flaunas, Cyprus – pastry, that have this characteristic aromas of mastic (comes from the resin of the mastic tree), mahlab aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry), ginger and cinnamon and they are filled with cheese, raisins and mastic which may as well include raisins or be garnished with sesame seeds. Flaunas are traditionally prepared for Easter.
Paszteciki, Poland – Popular pastry rolls made of either yeast-risen or buttery dough. Wrapped around different types of fillings such as mushrooms, cabbage, or ground meat, and these delicacies are a part of the traditional Polish cuisine. Trust me, we have a lot of cold weather, and we are making a lot of them.
Cornish pastry, England – Shaped into a form a half-moon, this crispy and juicy pastry is filled with uncooked beef & potatoes, onions, and various root vegetables and seasonings. The golden color of the pastry is accomplished by using egg wash or milk for final touch glaze, while the interior is filled with potatoes, turnips, onions, diced beef, herbs, and seasonings.
Empanadas, Spain – little pockets with yummy hot fillings; empanadas are crescent-shaped, flaky pastry dough. Baked or fried until golden, they are usually filled with a variety of spiced meats and vegetables, depending on regional and seasonal preferences and availabilities.
Pigs in blanket, USA – small smoked sausages that are wrapped in dough and baked until the dough develops a golden-brown color.
Khachapuri, Georgia – is a traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread. The bread is leavened and allowed to rise. Traditionally oblong shaped, with both ends pinched, to create that characteristic pointy ends. Usually the filling contains cheese (fresh or aged, most commonly sulguni), eggs and other ingredients, and the crust is ripped off and used to dip in the cheese. If you want to know more, (please see the food and flavor tour across the globe).
Burekas, Israel – are a popular baked pastry in Sephardic Jewish cuisine and Israeli cuisine. Typically made with either puff pastry, phyllo dough, or brik pastry (made with semolina), depending on the origin of the baker. Burekas are made in a wide variety of shapes, with the most traditional of them, to be the triangular one. There are of course multiple and vast selection of fillings: potatoes, spinach, spiced ground meat, mushrooms, cheese.
Spanakopita, Greece – spinach pie containing a buttery, flaky phyllo pastry with a filling of cooked spinach, lemon juice, feta cheese, and sometimes dill. It can be served either as a small snack, an appetizer, or a light main course. No matter the size, is a staple dish in Greek cuisine.
Pirozhki, Russia – pocket-sized, pointy oval-shaped Pirozhki are yeast dough buns stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as fresh fruits, jams, and cottage cheese for the sweet varieties, or meat, eggs, vegetables, fish, and rice for the savory versions. Egg washed before baking, to achieve that golden brown color and shine.
Boyoz, Turkey – The pastry is made with flour, sunflower oil, and tahini. Tahini increases the nutrient value of it, but it also makes the dough rise in layers. This pastry is filled with ingredients such as cheese, meat, olives, artichokes, or spinach. Traditionally, this flavorful pastry is served as an essential part of breakfast, when it is accompanied by hard-boiled eggs sprinkled with black pepper and a glass of Turkish tea.
Kibinai, Lithuania – These traditional pastries are made with a dough that is enriched with butter, eggs, and either kefir or sour cream. The dough is hand-rolled, and it is traditionally filled with minced mutton that is flavored with onions and various herbs. It is then firmly pinch-sealed into crescent-shaped pockets., with the pinching itself becoming a recognizable decoration.
Rasstegai, Russia – pastry with a hole in the center, which is stuffed with a wide variety of fillings – from liver with eggs to rice with mushrooms. However, the traditional stuffing is minced fish such as sturgeon or salmon. The pastry is made with flour, yeast, milk, eggs, butter, sugar, and salt, while the fish filling is typically combined with onions, butter, and cream. Traditionally, Rasstegai is served as a supplement to soups and broths – the opening in the pastry is used to add broth to the filling.
Pastel de Chaves, Portugal – This clam-shaped Portuguese delicacy is made with a puff pastry shell that is filled with a unique mixture of minced veal, bread, and onions.
Gougères, France – are tiny, hollow pastry puffs made from choux dough and cheese, most commonly grated Comté, Emmentaler, or Gruyère (to learn more about cheese, check my say cheese post).
Bungeoppang, South Korea – this an unusual fish-shaped South Korean pastry filled with red beans. The outer shell is made with a simple batter consisting of eggs, flour, raising agents, sugar, and water. It is poured in fish-shaped molds, and a dollop of smooth or coarse red bean paste is then placed in the middle. Enclosed in the mold, the pastry is baked on the stove until golden brown and crisp on the edges. The red bean filling is evenly distributed within the pastry and stays safely tucked inside.
Haitian Patty, Haiti – These local delicacies comprise of puff pastry that is shaped into small squares and filled with various types of meat such as beef, chicken, pork, or even fish. Haitian patties can also be paired with rice and beans as a filling meal.
Panades, Belize – a local version of an empanada, consisting of a deep-fried, crescent-shaped corn flour dough filled with either white fish or beans (red or black). These tasty, crunchy snacks are traditionally paired with a delicious salsa topping made from cabbage, peppers, and onions.
Kol böreği, Turkey – is a Turkish börek variety made with puff pastry that is shaped into a spiral. The pastry is filled with a variety of ingredients such as cheese, spinach, potatoes, or ground meat with pine nuts and currants.
Hoenderpastei, South Africa – short crust pastry shell filled with pieces of chicken, vegetables like: onions, carrots, and celery, hard-boiled eggs, and seasonings such as pepper, lemon juice, salt, and bay leaves. Simple, yet delicious, Hoenderpastei has been a street food favorite for many years in South Africa.
Pastizz, Malta – a flaky pastry filled with peas, ricotta, anchovies, corned beef, or apples. The thin dough is stretched and rolled with layers of fat in between, which is used to achieve the typical flaky texture of the finished bake, shaped into diamonds or semicircles, then baked until golden brown.
Banitsa, Bulgaria – It’s made by layering sheets of buttered phyllo pastry with a combination of eggs, yogurt, and salted cheese such as sirene and feta and then baking it in an oven. Traditionally, lucky charms are put into the pastry on certain occasions, particularly on New Year’s Eve. There’s an optional ingredient in the preparation of Banitsa and its baking soda, which makes the yogurt rise and makes the pie fluffier and richer in flavor.
Game pie, England – traditional English dish consisting of a pastry shell filled with rich gravy and slowly cooked game meat such as venison, rabbit, and pheasant. The dish is typically prepared during the colder months, since the British game season usually runs through autumn and winter. Traditionally made with hot water crust pastry, known for its sturdiness, and heavily decorated, with pastry cut out, or decorative crimping.
Pastel, Brazil – deep-fried, stuffed pastry. This half-circle or rectangle-shaped miniature pie is stuffed with a variety of ingredients, most shredded chicken, ground beef, mozzarella, or small shrimps.
Patty, Jamaica – a simple street food which flavor is enhanced with unique African and Indian touches. Flat half-moon shaped, and coated with turmeric on the exterior, while on the interior there is a fragrant, aromatic filling usually consisting of finely ground beef meat, fish, vegetables, callaloo, or goat meat breadcrumbs, and a selected variety of spices such as thyme, onions, garlic, Scotch bonnet chilis, and a zesty curry powder.
Brik, Tunisia – flaky phyllo dough filled with a variety of savory ingredients. The most common filling is tuna-based, enriched with traditional North African spices such as cilantro, chilis, pepper, or coriander seeds. A raw egg is often placed on top of the tuna filling, the pastry is carefully folded, and the egg partially cooks inside the flaky pastry. Other fillings can also include minced meat, anchovies, chicken, or various vegetables.
Bougatsa, Greek – Rustic pie consisting of a phyllo pastry layered with a filling of minced meat, cheese, or semolina custard.
Curry Beef Triangle, Hongkong – the dough is shaped into a circle, then usually filled with a combination of ground beef, onions, garlic, curry powder, and peas. It is then folded into a triangle, sealed with beaten eggs, and fried in oil over high heat. the outside should be thick, crunchy, and flaky while the interior remains moist.
Forfar Bridie, England – short crust pastry turnovers traditionally filled with chunks or strips of beef that was browned in suet with chopped onions.
Calzone, Italy – made from pizza dough and stuffed with different meats, sauces, cheeses, and vegetables. Then, it’s folded over on itself into a half-moon shape, baked in the oven, and served with marinara sauce on the side or atop.
Plăcintă cu cartofi, Romania – pastry dish consisting of a flat, round dough patty that is stuffed with mashed potatoes, and then fried in oil or lard until golden brown on both sides. Grated cheese, salted butter, sautéed chopped onions, and spices can be added to the stuffing for extra flavor. These fried patties are typically topped with cream cheese.
Knish, Eastern Europe – In most Eastern European traditional versions, the filling is made entirely of mashed potato, ground meat, sauerkraut, onions, kasha (buckwheat groats), or cheese. Other varieties of fillings include sweet potatoes, black beans, fruit, broccoli, tofu, or spinach. Knishes may be round, rectangular, or square.
Pâté Lorrain, France – dish consisting of marinated meat that is wrapped in puff pastry. In traditional French cuisine, the meat needs to be a mixture of pork and veal, although modern recipes also suggest other varieties, such as rabbit or chicken.
Beef Wellington, England – savory pie made of fillet steak coated with pâté (often pâté de foie gras) and duxelles ( finely chopped mushrooms), which is then wrapped in Parma ham and puff pastry and baked. Some recipes asking for wrapping the coated meat in a crêpe to retain the moisture and prevent it from making the pastry soggy. A whole tenderloin may be wrapped and baked, and then sliced for serving, or the tenderloin may be sliced into individual portions prior to wrapping and baking.
Sambusa baraka, Tajikistan – pastry filled with meat. Large triangular pie typically made with a firm, flaky dough made of flour, eggs, salt, and water. The dough is greased with melted butter, then topped with a meat mixture, and then form in the characteristic triangular shape. Traditional ingredients for the filling include ground beef or mutton with tail fat, onions, cumin seeds, spices, and seasonings. Sambusa baraka is usually brushed with beaten egg yolks, topped with sesame seeds, then baked in a tandir, a type of Tajik clay oven.
Samosa, India – A samosa is a fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, cheese, beef and other meats, or lentils. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region.
Cernički ćupteti, Croatia – This delicacy is made by stuffing the dough (flour, salt, white wine, yeast, water) with a mixture of leftover sausage meat seasoned with ground paprika and garlic. Once filled, the dough is usually shaped into squares, pinched on the sides to resemble a rose, sprinkled with melted pork fat, then baked until golden-brown.
Babos pogácsa, Hungary – a small, round, savory pastry with beans incorporated in the dough. This pogácsa is typically made with a mixture of flour, cooked and mashed beans, lard or another type of fat (such as butter or margarine), sour cream, eggs, yeast dissolved in milk, salt, and pepper. The dough is generally shaped into round portions, which are then brushed with egg yolks and sprinkled with grated cheese, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds before they’re baked until golden brown.
Burgenländischer Krautstrudel, Austria – this savory variety of strudel consisting of a thin strudel dough filled with a cabbage filling. The filling is typically prepared with finely chopped white cabbage, sugar, fat, salt, and spices such as pepper, caraway, and nutmeg.
Mbriulata, Sicily Italy – savory pastry made of dough (flour, olive oil, yeast, milk, and salt) that’s stuffed with ingredients such as potatoes, cheese, olives, and ground pork, which is used as a replacement for the traditional pork rinds. The cheese used for Mbriulata is typically grated pecorino. The strips of dough are rolled around the filling, creating a nice spiral after the Mbriulata has been baked.
Høns i asparges, Denmark – These delicious mini-tarts build from a puff pastry shell that is filled with a creamy combination of chicken and asparagus.
Empanada Cordobesa, Argentina – It is sweet and savory because it’s filled with beef, raisins, potatoes, tomatoes, olives, and white sugar. Other ingredients include hard-boiled eggs, onions, garlic, red wine, paprika, and cumin.
Molote, Mexico – are deep-fried, oval-shaped corn tortillas filled with several ingredients such as local cheese, mushrooms, and different types of meat. The dish is often topped with green or red salsa and sour cream.
Bedfordshire Clanger, England – This flavorful pastry is traditionally split in the middle, separating the two fillings. Savory in one half, while the sweet the other one. In traditional take there will be boiled suet pudding with a savory meat filling on one end and a sweet fruit filling on the other end.
Gulha, Maldives – a deep-fried pastry ball filled with smoked fish such as fish or tuna, along with desiccated coconut and onions.
Jambon en croute, Louxemburg – specialty consisting of whole or sliced smoked, pre-cooked ham that is surrounded within a pastry crust before being baked. The ham is often smothered with a mustard-based or honey coating, while the puff pastry wrapping is typically adorned with dough strips and brushed with beaten eggs for a nice, golden finish.
Perepichka, Ukraine – is an iconic street food item consisting of a soft, not overly seasoned sausage that is surrounded within yeasted dough. The whole combination is deep-fried, and it is usually served piping hot without any condiments. The first version of this favorite Kyiv street food appeared in 1981 at a small kiosk on Bohdan Khmelnytsky street.
Pretzel, Germany – dark brown, crispy, salty crust, and inside a soft dough. It has a plump “body”, and thin, crispy (not dry) crossed” arms”. Traditionally made from white (wheat) flour, malt, salt, yeast, and water. In some regions in Germany, fat is added to the dough to soften it. Other variations use whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or a mixture of different flours. Pretzels are topped with coarse salt or sometimes with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or poppy seeds.
Pierekaczewnik (Tatar Dumpling), Poland – This dish was brought to Poland by Tatar settlers who arrived as early as the 14th century. Become very popular in the old eastern borderlands of Poland, a melting pot of many culturally different peoples (Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Belarussians, Ukrainians, Jews, and Tatars) the pastry is made with six layers of thinly rolled dough, each brushed with melted butter and spread with a savory filling of ground lamb, rolled into a snail shape, then baked until the crust crisps.
Crawfish Pie, Usa – This Cajun delicacy originated in Louisiana. These pies, traditionally eaten on the weekends, are made of a pie shell that is filled with a blend of crawfish tails, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, stock, parsley, milk, butter, cornstarch, and seasonings. Everything is cooked until the mixture thickens, and the filling is then poured into the pie crust. The pie is baked in the oven until the crust becomes golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Salmon Pie, Canada – pie crust that is filled with a combination of mashed potatoes and cooked salmon, along with spices and other ingredients such as black pepper, parsley, thyme, eggs, and onions, depending on the varieties. Baked until golden brown in color and garnished with a few dollops of sour cream.
Pot Pie, Usa – The savory pies are always filled with meat such as chicken, beef, lamb, or turkey, along with vegetables such as peas, potatoes, and carrots. Pot pie is characterized by its top crust, which is traditionally made with flaky pastry.
Yummmmy 😋
I know, right..all of them so yummy