Feta and Herb Pockets
These Feta and Herb Pockets were created, because of a massive mix-up on my part. We had been contacted by a new client who had moved into the office building where a lot of our corporate clients were located. The new client had booked us for an opening reception- canapes and drinks, where the boss, regional boss and BIG BOSS travelling from Paris would be attending.
I had it in the diary for a Friday evening. The menu was signed off , the Chef was briefed, the waitress and bartender booked. On Thursday, I rang the client to clarify a small issue, and then she mentioned something about seeing the team shortly, as in 4 hours!! Realising I had totally messed this up, I had a melt down. But before I could completely fall apart, I had to come up with some new and fast menu ideas; some of our ingredients weren’t even being delivered until the next morning, and the Chicken and Pistachio Terrine was only halfway through production.
These little vegetarian Feta and Herb Pockets were served with my fingers crossed, and they were a resounding success! I have refined the recipe and now I find it works perfectly every time- double the recipe for 30 pieces and, if you are hosting a larger party, these can be frozen in advance. Ensure you use a quality feta cheese, actually from Greece and not an imitation, otherwise the recipe won’t have any pizazz!
Since that disastrous Thursday afternoon, these Feta and Herb Pockets have become one of those recipes I rely on constantly. These tasty little pies are a terrific appetiser with drinks- I serve them all the time as I tend to keep a dozen in the freezer for last minute guests, or if I’m fancying a nibble with a glass of Rose. However or whenever you serve them, this recipe will become a favourite with you and your friends!
Feta and Herb Pockets
Equipment
- Electronic digital scales
- Food processor optional [Note 1]
- Measuring Spoons optional- 1 teaspoon = 5 grams, 1 Tablespoon = 15 grams
- Mixing Bowl
- Quality Chef Knife
- Fork and small teaspoon
- Spatula and/or pastry card
- Rolling Pin
- 8 cm round mould [roughly 3 inches]
- Palette Knife optional
- Pastry Brush
- Baking Tray
- Baking Parchment
- Cooling Rack optional
Ingredients
For the Pockets
- 170 gram All Purpose Flour [6 ounces] Note 2
- 90 gram butter, cold and diced [3.2 ounces]
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk, preferably free range or organic save the egg white for later
- 45-50 ml cold water [approximately 3 tablesppons]
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, roughly crushed Note 3
- Nigella Seeds to finish Note 4
For the Pocket Filling
- 140 gram Feta Cheese, crumbled
- 2 heaping Tablespoons drained Capers roughly chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, packed and minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the pocket pastry
- Gather and weigh your ingredients
- Add the flour and butter into the bowl of a food processor [Note 1] and pulse until the mixture turn grainy - about half a minute. Add the yolk and pulse again, then slowly add the water just until the mixture rolls into a ball.
- Remove from the food processor bowl and add the fennel seeds. Knead lightly for a minute or two just until the dough is nice and leastic and mixed through. roll the ball into a disc, cover in clingfilm and pop it into the fridge for one hour [Note 5]
For the pocket filling
- Preheat the over to 185 C [365 F]
- In a mixing bowl, combine the feta, capers and oregano with a small fork. Mix in the salt and black pepper and set aside.
Assembling the Pockets
- Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a 1 pound or 1 euro coin.
- Using the round mould, cut a many circles as you can from the pastry and remove the excess. Discard or save for another use [unless you have extra filling and want to re-roll the excess]
- Weigh up the filling - you want 10 grams per pocket [approximately 2 teaspoons]
- Using a small teaspoon, place the weighed filling into the centre of each round
- Using the palette knife, gently lift one side of the pastry and fold it over the filling onto the other half. Using the small fork, crimp the edges and place the feta pocket onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using the fork, lightly whip the egg white until slightly frothy, then using the pastry brush, brush the tops of your feta pockets. Sprinkle with the seeds [Note 6] and place in the pre-heated oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are nice and golden
- Remove from the oven and slide the finished feta pockets onto a cooling rack for a few minutes, then plate and serve [Note 7]
