Tips from professional Chef Tallyrand:

Working with Phylo / Filo Pastry

When working with phylo pastry care must be taken, as it has a tendency to dry out very quickly and become fragile.

1. Open and remove the pastry from the packaging carefully and retain
2. Do not work in direct sunlight
3. Do not remove from the packet until just before required and ensure you have all your other ingredients, your pastry brush etc ready
4. Place a damp tea towel over the bulk of it as you work
5. Any remainder you have, is best chilled and used up as soon as you can; place back in the original packaging and also wrap in clingfilm to keep out the air, (which can and will dry it out) and store in the chiller
6. It can be frozen but does not yield the best results once defrosted
7. To use up the excess, use it as you would most other pastries - due to the pastry's required short cooking time, ensure you put in ingredients that quickly heat up or cook.
8. It can be used for the likes of:
• Jam or savoury tarts
• Pre-cooked moulds ready for cold fillings to be placed in: layer as per my recipe <click here> cut small squares out, brush the outside of oven proof moulds with oil, invert, place the pastry over the top and bake until golden brown
• These moulds can also be done by oiling small cake / Yorkshire pudding / muffin moulds and lining with the pastry
• The moulds are delicate and should be stored in an air tight container until required
• Fill them with the likes of tinned salmon or tuna, prawns, etc bound with mayonnaise, smoked salmon and marscapone, chopped ham and scrambled egg, delicately cut / baby vegetables, even ice cream and drench it with icing sugar or just whatever takes your fancy
• If you want to use up the remainder to make that great sweet treat, baklava <click here>
  

Related Recipe:

Published 07 July 2003