Kangaroo Pie ( Actually, Fish in Pastry, With a Cheese Sauce!)

Karen Elizabeth's Note:

I'm posting this recipe for ZWT5. it comes from a lovely cookbook "Dine Around The World", a gift from a friend many years ago. From the book :" One hundred years ago, a Hungarian lady brought recipes to Sydney, but nobody could understand their Hungarian names. So this roll was called Kangaroo Pie, because filling it reminded people of a kangaroo filling its pouch." It doesn't specify the fish to use, but I would use hake, cod, tilapia, or similar.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 300 g frozen puff pastry
• 500 g fish fillets, cooked and skinned
• 100 g pickled gherkins, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 egg, beaten

Cheese sauce

• 40 g butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup cream
• 100 g cheddar cheese
• 1 cup milk (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• parsley sprig

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 220C/425°F.
2. Defrost puff pastry and roll out to a rectangle, about 12 x 14 inches.
3. Cube cooked fish fillets, mix gently with chopped gherkins and onion, spread on pastry and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle parsley on top and roll up firmly.
5. Place roll in a buttered dish, brush with beaten egg and and bake in pre-heated oven at 220C/425F for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat slightly and bake for another 15 minutes, until pastry is golden-brown.
7. Sauce:.
8. In a small saucepan, heat butter, stir in flour gradually, after a minute gradually add cream, stirring constantly, and bring to boil.
9. Remove from heat, add grated cheese and stir until it has melted.
10. If you prefer a thinner sauce, whisk in the milk.
11. Season to taste with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
12. Arrange roll on heated platter, garnish with parsley and serve with cheese sauce.
13. A mixed salad goes well with this.

Reviews

[mummamills]

very good! and easy! used boring old Basa, and it tasted great! I crimped the ends of the pastry, and the cooking times were spot on!
I found the cheese sauce way to thick and rich for me, but I ended up cracking open the roll, and putting the sauce directly on the fish, worked well! made for nov 2011 tag game

[Julie B's Hive]

Different and delicious! Only change I made was to go even lighter on the cayenne as my hubby's not too fond of it. The sauce was very thick but I used no more than two tbsp milk to thin it out. Made for Aussie RS#30.

[Mia in Germany]

Absolutely delicious! I used gluten free puff pastry and had to bake at slightly lower temperatures. To be cow's milk free, I made the sauce with almond cream and a sheep cheese which is similar to mild cheddar. Thanks for sharing, Karen :)
Made for ZWT 8 / Aus/NZ for the Lively Lemon Lovelies