Mr. Paul's Pantry

Hi there I’m Mister Paul and welcome to my Blog where hopefully we can share some helpful information to help improve your baking experience.

Where and How did I learn to Cook and Bake?
Well, unlike most of you, it was not in my Mother’s kitchen, for the simple reason, we did not have a kitchen. I was born into a Romay Gypsy family and travelled the highways and byways of the UK in a horse drawn Vargo (caravan) and all cooking was on a open fire outside. Everything and I mean everything, with the exception of baked potatoes was cooked either in the cast iron stew pot or on the iron griddle plate.

From a very early age I had a fascination with the bread and cakes on display in the high street bakers windows, constantly wondering how on earth did they produce these wonderful looking things. Remember, we had no such thing as an oven and not having even seen one, the whole thing was a complete mystery to me.

Fast Forward a few years
We lost my father to an accident and eventually my mother re-married my step-father who was a Pork Butcher (charcuiterer) with 5 shops and a small manufactory. At the age of 15 I joined the business where I learned the art of Pork Pie and Sausage making. But, I wanted more, I needed to be able to reproduce all those fascinating bakery items I had perused in shop windows all those years before.

So, off I went into the wide world and enrolled in a bakery school, consequently, I opened my own bakery in Leeds, West Yorkshire in the UK and later moving to Granada Spain and had a bakery there until my retirement.

I have had a life-long interest in cooking and baking and in retirement I started sharing some of my recipes and little tips I’ve picked up over the years on YouTube and to my surprise I’ve made contact with hundreds of like minded people around the world.

What kind of recipes do I share on my website?
Almost all the recipes are ones I have cooked and used most of my working life. You will find very few low calorie recipes, artificial sweeteners, skimmed milk, etc. or what I call Fad diets. I believe in good wholesome food and if taken in moderation, I also believe there is nothing wrong with butter and cream, etc.

If you enjoy trying out different recipes or you would like to know how to do something you have difficulty with join me and my worldwide community and you will be made most welcome.

You can join me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MrPaulsPantry/

YouTube Channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjYj2uNNzjDLjpT_pIHtFfg

Some of his recipes

Traditional English GALA PIE

INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry
500g Strong White Bread Flour
200g Lard (NO Substitute)
185g Cold Water
6g Salt

For the Filling
1kg Minced Pork (I use Belly Pork with skin removed)
100g Dry Bread crumbs
36g Pork Pie Seasoning (See link to seasoning recipe below, or purchase some from my website Shop)
Hard Boiled Eggs

For the Gel
250ml of chicken stock
3 sheets of gelatin

Seasoning
66 g Salt
30 g White Pepper
1 g Mustard Powder
1 g Cayenne Pepper
2 g Nutmeg

1hr 15 mins at 170c
Internal Temp 70c

English Pork Pie

RECIPE
For the pastry
500g Strong Bread Flour (minimum 12% protein)
200g Lard (there are NO substitutes)
185g Cold Water
1 teaspoon salt (6g)

For the Filling
500g Belly or Shoulder Pork /chopped fine or course minced)
16g Mr Paul's Pork Pie Seasoning (see link below)
250mls Chicken Stock
1 Heaped teaspoon Gelatine

Cornish Pasty

RECIPE
500g Minced Beef
200g Swede Diced
250g White Onion Diced
50g Bread crumbs (dried)
21/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
50g Vegetable Oil
ALSO: I forgot to mention in the video you need to add
50g Cold Water
700g Potatoes Diced.

Cheese & Onion Pasty

Recipe Ingredients
300g Mashed Potato (Do not add anything like milk, etc. only a little butter or margarine.
4 Eggs
200g Onion finely chopped
400g Grated Cheese
Puff Pastry Either shop bought or your own make.

Traditional Scotch Pies

Recipe
For the pastry
500g Bread Flour/Plain Flour
200g Lard
1 tsp Slat
185g Cold Water

For the filling
300g Minced Lamb or Beef
1/2 tsp Mace or Nutmeg
1 tsp Mixed dried herbs
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Pepper

Soft White Sandwich Loaf

Ingredients:
430g Strong Bread White Flour
245g Warm Water
1 tablespoon Oil (20g)
7g Instant Yeast
1 teaspoon Salt (9g)
1 teaspoon Sugar (6g)
Bake at 160ºC Fan or 180ºC convection

Scottish Shortbread

Recipe
375g Plain Four/all purpose
250g Butter unsalted is preferred
125g Sugar (Granulated or Caster Sugar)
A good pinch of salt
Bake at 160ºc/320ºf or Gas 3 for about 20 minutes
NOTE: Granulated sugar gives a better crunch to this shortbread.

Easiest Chicken Pie

Recipe
250g Chicken
80g Cooked Ham
125g Mushrooms
25g Plain Flour
30g Butter
100g Onion
300g Chicken Stock
Sprig of Thyme
or 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Chicken Balti Pie

PASTRY
400g Plain Flour
170g Cold Water
100g Lard (or any White shortening such as Cookeen, Trex, Etc)
90g Butter
1 Teaspoon Gara Masala
-----------------------------------------------------
FILLING
300g Chicken Thighs
135g Onion Finely Chopped
8g Sugar
20g Mr Paul’s Balti Spice Mix
17g Butter
200g Tomatoes Skinned and Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Tsp Salt
Water to adjust as per video.
-----------------------------------------------------------
MR. PAUL’S BALTI SPICE MIX
Please Note; All these are dried powdered spices.

30g Coriander
12g Turmeric
24g Cumin
28g Plain Flour
24g Salt
40g Ginger
40g Cayenne or a good Chilli Powder
8g Cloves
8g Laurel (Bay Leaf)
Mix well and store in a screw top jar.

English Steak & Kidney Pie

Ingredients:
For the filling
750g beef (cubed in 2.5cm) I use chuck/crop steak see my tips below
300g beef kidney (cubed in 2.5cm)
1 medium sized onion chopped
50g beef dripping see my tips below
500ml beef stock (fresh, carton or a made up stock cube are all OK)
Sprig of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Flour for coating the meat.
Salt, pepper and mustard powder
Dash of Worcestershire sauce

For the pastry
500g plain flour
125g lard
125g butter or margarine
1 level tsp baking powder (NOT baking soda)
85g cold water see my tips below

My Hints & Tips
I always use beef from the front end of the animal because it has a nice amount of fat which gives you flavour (NO Fat NO Flavour).
Also I use Beef dripping when I'm cooking beef, but you can substitute lard or any oil you prefer.
As for the beef stock, in the video I use fresh beef stock, but you can use shop bought or make up a beef stock cube, use whatever you have to hand.
You will also notice the absence of vegetables in my recipe with the exception of an onion, this is because I want to taste the full flavour of the beef and kidney, you can always serve vegetables on the side if you so wish.