Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Jade: Bitemysardines

I loved Sugarbun as a kid. Not so much the fast food, although the fish burger is still my go to burger on days when I just want to feel as unhealthy as I possibly can....can't beat synthetic fish and old grease. No..I loved the adjoining bakery. Applebee. I'm not even sure if it's around anymore, but when we were in Miri, we had a massive Applebee in one of the shopping complexes where we would go nearly every weekend to could pick out curry puffs and buns for school. The best bit about that bakery though, had to be the semi open kitchen. Everyday, someone wearing a chef's hat would stand at the work station piping icing roses, icing baskets, icing cartoon characters on elaborate celebration cakes. And whenever I went, I would press my nose against the glass panel eating either sugary doughnut balls on a stick or their swirly ice cream cone. It was my treat for being good :)

Sardine puffs [One of my favourite pastries from Applebee..after sugary doughnuts on a stick, of course...only now I'm all grown up. So I don't have to buy them..I can just make them;)]

1 pack ready made puff pastry
1 can sardine
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 red chili, chopped
1 carrot, grated
Juice of half a lime
1 beaten egg

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Fry the onions till fragrant and chuck in the sardines, chili and carrots, breaking up the fish as you go along
3. Add the lime juice and a bit of sugar or salt to taste
4. Cut your pastry into squares, spoon about a tbsp of filling on top, brush the edges with egg and press down with a fork to seal
5. Score the top so steam can escape and glaze with beaten egg
6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes and enjoy, fresh out of the oven :)
Mine didn't have as much 'puff' as I would've liked...might have something to do with the fact that the pastry's been sitting in my freezer since 2009..