Artichoke and green olive puff pastry pies

Artichoke and green olive puff pastry pies

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

Makes: 4

Ingredients

• 20g unsalted butter
• 4 large shallots, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 8 sprigs thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 5 large sage leaves, finely sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vermouth
• 5 large, marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• 80g green olives, drained, stoned and roughly chopped
• 75ml double cream
• 400g ready-rolled puff pastry
• Plain flour, for rolling out
• 2 medium egg yolks, beaten, for glazing

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan oven/gas mark 4. Melt half the butter in a pan and cook the shallots, garlic, thyme and sage with a pinch of salt until very soft. Add the vermouth and let it bubble until reduced by half.

2. Stir in the artichokes, olives and cream and bring to the boil. Season to taste.

3. Grease four 4cm x 10cm loose-bottomed tartlet cases with the remaining butter. Unroll the pastry on a floured work surface and cut four x 16cm diameter circles to line each case. Fit into each case, then divide the artichoke mixture among them. Using the remaining pastry, cut out 4 circles to cover the pies. Use some of the beaten egg yolk to brush the edge of the pastry. Top each pie with a lid and crimp the edges to seal.

4. Brush the pies with the rest of the beaten egg yolk, then bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Our thanks to Waitrose Cookery School Love to Cook (Simon and Schuster, £25) for providing this recipe. Buy it at a discount from Saga Bookshop.