Suet Shortcrust Pastry
I came up with this pastry late on Christmas Day a few years ago. After cooking a feast, I wanted to get a head start on using the leftovers. I had some suet left over from making Christmas pudding and mincemeat, so I decided to incorporate it into a shortcrust pastry. The result is an easy, forgiving pastry that’s perfect for leftover pies. It holds its shape well, doesn’t need chilling, and can be used straight away; exactly what you need after a long day in the kitchen.
Makes approx 750g
Hands-on Time 5 minutes
Ingredients
450g plain flour
1 tsp fine salt
50g shredded suet
150g unsalted butter (cubed and chilled)
125ml water
1 medium egg
Equipment
Bowl
Spoon
Method
1. Combine Dry Ingredients
In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and shredded suet.
2. Rub in the Butter
Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use your thumb and forefingers to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Tip
Coat the butter in flour first, then flatten each piece between your fingers before rubbing in.
3. Add Wet Ingredients
Pour in the water and crack in the egg. Stir with a spoon until the dough begins to come together.
4. Knead the Dough
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and gently knead until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
5. Use Immediately
The pastry is ready to use straight away. Roll it out as needed for your recipe.
Enjoy!
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