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Azevias de Grao (Chickpea Pastry)

Did I mention our love of Azevias de Grao (chickpea turnovers)?  We love chickpeas. Seriously, you can see we even use them in desserts. The name Azevia indicates a type of flounder to which these pastries are somewhat shaped when folded over. To the surprise of many, traditional Portuguese pastries like Azevias de Grão often contain fillings made with legumes or vegetables. This Alentejo favorite can also be made with precooked from scratch, dry chickpeas This Azevias de Grão recipe gives you a short cut with well-drained, canned chick peas. If you have an allergy to almonds, leave them out. This filling can be made the day before or early in the day.

Makes about 3 dozen

Chickpeas

1½ cups (9 ounces/255g) canned chick peas, well-drained, or if cooking from scratch, soak the dry chick peas overnight in cold water, then after soaking, remove skins by gently rubbing the drained, pre-soaked chick peas with a clean kitchen towel, rinse in a bowl or water, skins should float to surface, then drain off. Cook in fresh water for 1 hour 15 minutes until very tender and drain well.

Sugar syrup

1 cup (7 ounces/200 g) sugar

½ cup (4 ounces/120 ml) water

Cinnamon stick

Filling

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 ml) orange or lemon juice

Grated zest of one orange or lemon

2 egg yolks

½ teaspoon (.05 ounce/1.3 g) ground cinnamon

1 cup finely ground almonds, optional

Pastry dough

1 1/4 cups unbleached pastry (T45) flour

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose (T55) flour plus extra for rolling

¼ teaspoon table salt

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon (½ ounce/15 ml) cognac

Grated zest 1 orange

Juice of 1 orange about ½ cup (4 ounces/120 ml) fresh squeezed orange juice

Assembly

Egg wash

1 egg (1.7 ounces/50 g) beaten with 1 tablespoon (½ ounce/15 ml) water for sealing

Parchment paper

2 Rimmed sheet pans

Rolling pin or dough rolling machine used to roll out sheets of pasta dough

Fry

Corn oil or grape seed oil for frying

1 cup (7 ounces/200g) sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon (2 g) cinnamon for dusting

 

  1. Prepare the chickpeas: Use a food processor or immersion stick blender to purée the chick peas until smooth. Pass the puréed chickpeas through a mesh sieve. Drain well, again, in a sieve, set over a bowl, to remove any residual liquid, about 30 minutes. Set aside until needed.

 

  1. Next, make the sugar syrup: While the chickpeas are draining, bring the sugar and water with the cinnamon stick to a boil, in a medium 3-quart (2.8 liter) sauce pan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the temperature on a candy thermometer reaches 230°F (110°C), forming a syrup, about 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick and set the pot of syrup aside to cool for 5 minutes.

 

  1. Make the filling: Stir the reserved chick pea purée, the ground almonds, if using, the orange juice, the grated orange zest, the yolks and the cinnamon into the pot of sugar syrup. Return the pot to the stove and set the pot on medium-low heat. Do not boil. Stir frequently and continue to cook until it is thickened to the point when you are able to draw a line through the filling on the back of the wooden spoon and line holds its shape, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and set aside to completely cool. Cover, pressing plastic wrap against the surface of the filling and chill in the refrigerator until needed, about 1 hour.

 

  1. Make the pastry: First, sift the pastry and all-purpose flours together with the salt in a medium bowl, then whisk to blend well.

 

  1. In a large cup, whisk together the melted butter, cognac, orange zest and orange juice. Make a well in the middle of the sifted flour. Pour the flavored juice into the well and use your outstretched fingers to mix until the dough forms. If the dough seems a little stiff, drizzle a little water over the dough, and mix until the dough is pliable. Cover and set aside until needed.

 

  1. Assemble: Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and set it beside the workspace.

 

  1. Next, roll: To roll the dough by hand, pinch off a fist full of dough and roll out, on a lightly floured surface, with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch (.3 cm) thin. After rolling, skip to step 8.

 

To roll by machine:  I prefer to roll with the pasta dough machine for its ease in obtaining the thinness I want. Pinch off a fist size wad of dough and lightly dust it in flour.  Press between your palms into a thick pancake. Then, starting with the widest opening, pass the dough through 4 successive roller levels, each one being more narrow than the previous, the final one being a scant 1/8 (.3 cm) of an inch thin.

 

  1. Cut circles in the dough using a cutter or 4 inch (10 cm) diameter cup. Place a scant tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the circle. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold the dough over the filling forming a half moon, pressing the edges to seal and slightly tug the ends to elongate a slight point. Place on the lined sheet pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Depending on your rolling and how much you fill the Azevias, you might have either some filling or dough leftover. Any extra filling can be scooped into pre-baked filo cups and enjoyed.

 

  1. Heat a 5-inch (12 cm) depth of the oil in a fryer or deep sauce pan to 350°F (180°C). Add a few Azevias de Grao at a time and fry until golden. They will turn golden in a matter of two minutes. Do not let them get too dark.  Remove and drain on paper toweling. Dust with cinnamon/ sugar mix. The Azevias de Grao are best eaten on the same day, but they can be gently rewarmed in the oven the next day.

 

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