Trinidad Flour Pastelle: A Festive Delight for the Senses

This flour pastelle came out good; the dough was nice and thin and the filling had just the right amount of seasoning and not too much salt. Even the roucou coloured the meat to give the pastelle a light yellow tinge that could make you feel that it was a cornmeal pastelle. I always strive to create dishes that are visually appealing, flavourful and perfectly balanced. The pastelle dish is no exception. I

t is a traditional Trinidadian delicacy that requires precision and care in its preparation. To achieve the perfect pastelle, I carefully selected the ingredients, using only the freshest and highest quality meat, vegetables and spices. The dough was meticulously rolled out, ensuring that it was thin and pliable enough to wrap around the filling. The filling was cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of seasoning and salt. I also added roucou to give the meat a beautiful yellow colour, reminiscent of cornmeal pastelles. Finally, the pastelles are steamed.

Ingredients

• DOUGH:
• 3 cups flour
• 3 tbsp. margarine
• 2 cups water
• FILLING:
• 2 packs mince meat any meat of your choice
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 bundles chive
• 3 big thyme
• 1 small bundle culantro chadon beni
• 1 tsp. paprika parsley
• 2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. golden ray margarine optional
• 2 tbsp. capers optional
• 2 tbsp. raisins optional
• 8 olives chopped finely optional
• 3-4 tbsp. roucou
• pepper and salt to taste
• Wrapping:
• 2 – 3 large fig banana leaves
• String to tie

Instructions

• Filling: Mix the seasoning and the meat and place in a heavy pot to cook until brown. Add the roucou, tomato paste, and golden ray margarine.
• Add a little pepper sauce to taste or 1 hot pepper, finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients. When done, remove from fire and set aside to cool.
• In a deep bowl, sift the flour and cut in the cookeen margarine. Mix and slowly add the water until a soft dough is formed. Leave to rest for approximately 15 minutes.
• Cut the dough into small pieces and roll into 2 inch diameter balls. Cover and rest for 5 minutes. Grease the 2 square banana leaves on the smooth side only and place on the pastelle press.
• Place one rolled dough in the centre on the first leaf. Press the second greased leaf over the dough. Remove the top leaf. Fold the leaf carefully. Tie the parcels.
• Repeat the process. Cook the pastelles in hot water or steam the in a double boiler for about 25-30 minutes. Drain and serve hot.

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Recipe © Simply Trini Cooking. All rights reserved

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Trinidad Flour Pastelle

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Meats

Cuisine: Spanish/ Hispanic

Servings: 30

Calories:

Author: Felix (Simply Trini Cooking)

Ingredients

• DOUGH:
• 3 cups flour
• 3 tbsp. margarine
• 2 cups water
• FILLING:
• 2 packs mince meat any meat of your choice
• 5 cloves garlic
• 4 bundles chive
• 3 big thyme
• 1 small bundle culantro chadon beni
• 1 tsp. paprika parsley
• 2 tsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. golden ray margarine optional
• 2 tbsp. capers optional
• 2 tbsp. raisins optional
• 8 olives chopped finely optional
• 3-4 tbsp. roucou
• pepper and salt to taste
• Wrapping:
• 2 – 3 large fig banana leaves
• String to tie

Instructions

• Filling: Mix the seasoning and the meat and place in a heavy pot to cook until brown. Add the roucou, tomato paste, and golden ray margarine.
• Add a little pepper sauce to taste or 1 hot pepper, finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients. When done, remove from fire and set aside to cool.
• In a deep bowl, sift the flour and cut in the cookeen margarine. Mix and slowly add the water until a soft dough is formed. Leave to rest for approximately 15 minutes.
• Cut the dough into small pieces and roll into 2 inch diameter balls. Cover and rest for 5 minutes. Grease the 2 square banana leaves on the smooth side only and place on the pastelle press.
• Place one rolled dough in the centre on the first leaf. Press the second greased leaf over the dough. Remove the top leaf. Fold the leaf carefully. Tie the parcels.
• Repeat the process. Cook the pastelles in hot water or steam the in a double boiler for about 25-30 minutes. Drain and serve hot.