Quark and Quorn Pie

Writing a blog is a funny old thing.  You start out typing to yourself and gradually people find you.  Nice people, interesting people...people who encourage you. At first it's only family and friends then something wonderful happens, you see people from all over the world are stopping by to take a look.  The really nice readers come back regularly and leave kind comments, like Calendula, a very talented photographer who lives in Germany.  Today I am going to use Calendula's recipe for Quark Pastry and show you how to make a Quark and Quorn pie. 

I must confess, I'd never heard of Quark but a quick Google informed me that it is a soft, fresh cheese.  Actually, it reminds me of a tangy, thick yogurt. 

Here is Calendula's recipe for Quark-Ol-Teig or Quark-Oil-Dough:

150 grams quark
6 Tablespoons of milk
6 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 pinch of salt
250 - 300 grams flour
3 teaspoons baking powder

This is such an easy pastry to make.  Simply place all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine the wet and dry ingredients.  Knead the dough to bring it all together.  Wrap in cling film and refrigerate while you make the pie filling.

I used Quorn, a vegetarian mince, but you could use ground beef if you are feeling carnivorous.  You can adjust the amount of filling to suit the size pie you want to make so I can't give you exact measurements... this part is more technique than recipe. 

Using the pie dish, I estimated how much mince I would need for the filling.  If you are using ground beef, a pound of meat should make a pie that will serve 3 or 4 people.  

Chop a large carrot and an onion into small pieces.  Peel and finely slice a clove or two of garlic.  Saute the carrot, onion, garlic and a teaspoon of mixed herbs in a tablespoon of oil. 

Add the Quorn (or beef)  and cook over a low heat until the mince is lightly browned and the vegetables have softened.  Add a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce to spice up the mixture.   Now here's where we cheat......

Using gravy granules or a packet of gravy mix,  make a VERY thick gravy. We LOVE gravy so I made at least half of a large measuring cup's worth.  Pour the gravy over the cooked mince, stir to combine and pour into your pie dish.  Set to the side while you roll out the pastry.

Are you still with me?  I know this seems to be a long process but it's really just pastry, chop, fry, gravy, pastry, bake!   So here we go... 

Dust the work surface and a rolling pin with a little flour.  Roll out the dough until it is nice and thin and a bit bigger than the pie dish.  You may not need all the dough to cover your pie.  Place the rolled out pastry over the pie dish.  Using the back of a fork, press the dough gently against the edge of the pie dish.  Cut off any extra dough.  I made a few hearts for decoration but that was just me being 'girly'.    Bake the pie for about 30-35 minutes in a pre-heated oven, 180C/350F.

Served with mustard mash and peas, this was the perfect winter dinner.   I hope Calendula will approve of my Quark Pastry.  We certainly enjoyed it.

A special thanks to Calendula for sharing her recipe with me.  Please take a few minutes to visit her blog and look at her wonderful photos, just click on the link below:

Impressions