Rustici Leccesi - AKA Puglisi Cheese Bites

It was our online Cookbook Club time again, and the book was The Italian Home Cook by Sylvia Colloca, Italian-Australian actress, opera singer and cook.  I chose to make Cheese Bites, because ... pastry and cheese - of course, who would say no?  I serendipitously had a packet of pastry (comes already cut into ten small pieces) in the freezer which was perfect for this recipe.  I did end up having to use an extra sheet of pastry as this made a lot of filling.

Speaking of cookbook club, we were away for the last IRL session, so I told the lovely ladies at our local bookshop that I wouldn't be there, and they cancelled that one!  Mmm, must be more indispensable than I thought - tee hee hee, just kidding.  But also speaking of bookshops, the most wonderful and delightful Fiona Stager of Avid Reader Books in West End has been awarded an OAM - Medal of the Order of Australia.  Everyone is so thrilled for her; she really is the literary matriarch of West End!

cheesy, and 'shroomy

Makes 8 (or 9):

ingredients:

1 Tbs EV olive oil

90g./3 big oz mushrooms, chopped into small chunks

For the Besciamella/béchamel filling:

3 Tbs butter   see Notes

3 Tbs plain (all-purpose) flour

250 mL/1 cup milk

35g./1 biiiig oz of parmesan, grated

100g./3.5 oz cheddar cheese, grated   see Notes

dried herbs - chives and parsley for me - maybe 1 tsp of each

pinch of ground nutmeg

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

6-8 capers, chopped (optional)

For the pastry cases:

400g./14 oz butter puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

2 Tbs milk

Method:

First, heat up the olive oil and fry the mushrooms gently in a small frypan for a few minutes till soft, then put aside to cool down

Now make the sauce by melting the butter with the flour (yes, WITH the flour) in a small saucepan, medium heat, and stir the while till it becomes thick - like wet sand says Silvia!

Start pouring in the milk, and whisk like mad till all the milk is in

Grab a wooden spoon at this juncture, turn the hob to low, and stir for a few minutes till the sauce thickens, and the flour cooks out

Take it off the hob, add the cheeses, stir them in gently, then add the herbs, nutmeg, salt, pepper, capers and mushies - and let the mixture cool off, while you - 

Grab a couple of large baking trays and slap on some baking paper

Cut the pastry sheets into squares or circles (Silvia says 16 discs X 6cm/2.4 in) and place half of them on a tray, spoon on one heaped Tbs of the filling, place another disc on top, and press all around with a fork to seal    see Notes

Keep on till all the pastries are done, then give 'em an eggwash with the egg and milk beaten together

Whack the tray(s) of cheese bites into the fridge while the oven heats to 200C/390F

Bake for 20-25 minutes, till golden - best warm or at room temp.

Notes:

3 Tbs = 60 grams of butter - (we have bigger tablespoons) and = 45 grams of flour 

Silvia says to use provolone but I couldn't find any so I used vintage cheddar instead

She uses pancetta rather than mushrooms but feel free to use whatever you please as per her suggestions - ham, anchovies, tomato etc.

I had ten small, square pieces of pastry in the freezer (that's how the packet came) which made 5 round pastries (after I trimmed them into discs); I then used another rectangular sheet cut in half lengthwise to make 2 long rolls, which I then cut in half so I ended up with 5 discs and 4 rolls - make sense? :=) 

grate your cheeses

mix the butter and flour together - yep, all at once

stir in the flour and cheeses

in go the seasonings, and herbs

mushrooms in

trimmed into discs and ready for fillings

and I made 2 long rolls also, which I halved after baking

eggwashed and ready for baking

baked for 20-25 mins. at 200C

baked and halved

let's hoe in

c. Sherry Mackay