Savory Danish

Slightly sweet pastry encasing savory filling isn't something new or unwelcoming. For our Chinese dim-sums we have char-siew-soh (BBQ pork wrapped in sweet pockets) and ham-shui-kok (diced pork in sweet-rice dumplings). In the book Baking with Julia has mentioned coulibiac (brioche wrapped salmon) or tete de brioche (with foie gras) as well. Inspired by Savory Brioche Pockets from the same book, I used a similar filling but replaced with Danish pastry for the outside. One of the reasons is, it's impossible to make brioche by hand. And, I really like danish! Although the filling is savory, onion and potato themselves have an undertone sweetness, the whole things blending together is completely harmonious!

Ingredients (yield 4 to 5 pastries, each dia. 4- 5 inches or 10- 13cm)

• 1/2 basic danish pastry dough
• 2 medium all purpose-potatoes (i.e. not too starchy nor waxy)
• 1/4 cup (or to taste) goat cheese
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbps chopped scallions
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbp butter
• a few thinly sliced pepperonis
• 1 egg, beaten (egg wash)
• some poppy seeds
• 4 sage leaves

Directions

• Roll the danish dough to 1/2-cm thick, and cut out 8 circles, each in 4.5-inches/12-cm diameter. Cover, rest in refrigerator while you're making the filling
• After the potatoes cooked, peeled, add cheese and mash, salt and pepper to taste. Add scallions. Set aside.
• Saute the onion with butter and a pinch of salt until it's caramelized. Set aside.
• Take out 4 round doughs, lay them on work table, spread some onion on each circle, scoop mashed potatoes on top, spread more onion on top and a slice of pepperoni. Cover the filling by adding another round dough, brush some egg around the edge of the bottom dough, fold up and crimp. After you assembled all the pastries, cover, let them rise in 70F room for an hour. In the meantime pre-heat the oven to 375F
• Before the pastries going into the oven, egg wash, sprinkle poppy seeds and put a sage leaf on each top. Bake until they turn golden brown, 15 - 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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