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Do any of you still "knock up" ( puff pastry!) And I don't mean make!

(38 Posts)
phoenix Fri 10-Apr-20 15:32:22

Hello all, good wishes to you.

Have just finished making a chicken pie for tonight's supper (polishes halo) using bought puff pastry blush (hands halo back) in my defence, buying it ready made means I don't deplete the apparently dwindling flour stocks (reclaims halo) grin

Anyway, I've always been in the habit of going round the rim of the pie with a knife, sideways on confused sort of putting small cuts/debts into it to (supposedly) help it to "puff up"

Do you do this, or is it only me?

PS I follow this with creating a scalloped edge with the handle of a teaspoon, then making pastry leaves to go in the middle, and even a tassle, on occasions! Looks impressive, can distract from the actual quality of the pie! blush

phoenix Fri 10-Apr-20 15:33:14

DENTS, not debts!

Chewbacca Fri 10-Apr-20 15:37:02

Yes I knock up my puff pastry edges with a knife too. It's nice to see the layers of pastry revealed when its baked and puffed up, especially the contrast of the knocked up edge compared to the egg brushed pie.

It's been many years since I saw anyone refer to it as that, so your post made me smile Phoenix

Doodle Fri 10-Apr-20 15:40:16

Oh phoenix I remember my mum doing that too, and yes in the days when I mad pastry I did. Your pie sounds delicious. I would ask for a slice except that today I have a leg of lamb in the slow cooker and I am (hopefully) looking forward to that tonight.

Callistemon Fri 10-Apr-20 15:50:56

I rarely make a pie and if I wasn't in lockdown I would be hotfooting it round to Phoenix Towers in time for dinner!

If I do , I use a knife or, with short crust, I fork it iyswim.

Callistemon Fri 10-Apr-20 15:52:22

It's always fish chez nous on Good Friday.

Marydoll Fri 10-Apr-20 15:56:19

Fish for us too. Seafood risotto, using up the dead mushrooms etc.

SueDonim Fri 10-Apr-20 15:59:03

I’d forgotten about knocking up! I rarely use pastry now, my waistline likes it too much. I use a fork to make pretty patterns on the edge of short crust.

Speaking of knocking, a group,of friends and I once went to a knocking shop when I lived in Nigeria. shock. When we got there, we discovered it wasn’t at all what our imaginations had told us, it was a part of the manufacturing process of making traditional dyed fabrics. grin

Callistemon Fri 10-Apr-20 15:59:50

I'm waiting to see what surprises come in my food delivery! Could be fish or not.

phoenix Fri 10-Apr-20 16:02:42

Oh, feel guilty now for not having fish blush

It's just that with Mr P in charge of shopping, we seem to have a glut of chicken!

He did buy some fishcakes, but I'm checking dates and trying to use things in date order.

Callistemon Fri 10-Apr-20 16:07:05

We may be having chicken, or mince, or whatever surprises are in the delivery.

Bathsheba Fri 10-Apr-20 16:13:11

Yes I always knock up the edges of a puff pastry pie. It kind of looks a bit more professional, haha, and makes me feel virtuous ?

Nico97 Fri 10-Apr-20 16:46:35

Fish for us today and yes, always knock up the pastry smile

merlotgran Fri 10-Apr-20 16:49:39

We're having fish pie grin

Potato not pastry though.

Daddima Fri 10-Apr-20 16:52:13

Red snapper for me, with a tomato & cream sauce, roast and mashed potatoes and green beans.

Last night was fish fingers, potato waffles and peas.

SuzannahM Fri 10-Apr-20 17:05:21

We're not having fish either - I've made steak and mushroom pudding with the steak and mushroom we had left over from Wednesday. I've never made a suet pudding in the slow cooker before so it might end up as just steak and mushroom again smile

Puff pastry scares me blush

mumofmadboys Fri 10-Apr-20 17:12:24

Eating up yesterday's Crispy mushroom layer made with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, nuts and breadcrumbs. Had it with green beans yesterday. Today with spinach

grannylyn65 Fri 10-Apr-20 17:25:12

Are you veggie Mum ?

jacq10 Fri 10-Apr-20 17:36:53

Always do the "knocking up" with pastry but using my thumb not teaspoon! Just doing what my mum used to do. She probably hadn't time to look for teaspoon - she was always a bit of a "hasher" but a great cook. I also do the pastry leaves down to veining them which used to be the kids job.

Gaunt47 Fri 10-Apr-20 17:56:48

I wish I could make pastry, but there's still no flour in the shops. sad

eazybee Fri 10-Apr-20 18:07:40

Yes always; I quite enjoy doing it, and it helps the 'lid' meld withe the strips on the rim of the pie dish. I make leaves too.

travelsafar Fri 10-Apr-20 18:38:32

We rarely eat pie nowadays. DH get indigestion and i will only eat homemade one as i once ate a shop bought steak pie and bit into a large lump of gristle which made me feel sick!! Tonight being Good Friday Ihad salmon and cue sandwiches, DH had tuna and cue. We have both been very busy, me in the garden, DH decorating and neither of us wanted much to eat. I did offer to make Hot Cross Buns this morning but again the indigestion problem arises so i didnt.

JuliaM Fri 10-Apr-20 19:16:50

I always knock up my pie edges too, but sometimes cheat and make quick puff pastry where you freeze the butter or Margarine block first, then grate it like cheese into the flour before going straight to the rolling and folding stage, itssomethi gthat we were taught in school in the early 70s, and it does work quite well for using on every day family recipes.

Chewbacca Fri 10-Apr-20 19:34:00

I'd forgotten about the frozen fat method JuliaM, I think the last time I made that was in high school domestic science lessons! I buy ready rolled pastry these days, mines like leather!

Cabbie21 Fri 10-Apr-20 20:07:32

Does anyone know how long frozen pastry will keep? I have some which has been in the freezer for months. I think it probably needs throwing out but I am always reluctant to waste any food, especially now.