Oil Pastry

This is an unusual pastry, it is great for those who have to be careful of the amount of animal fats we eat. It can be used instead of short crust pastry.

There is a downside, it does not keep well so it has to be used as soon as possible after making and it does not freeze well raw. If it is kept for 24 hours in the fridge the oil seeps out and the pastry is rendered useless!

Vegetable oil is more suitable for savoury dishes. Groundnut oil suits spicier dishes. Olive oil is superb with cheese dishes (try extra virgin olive oil for an ever more wonderful pastry). For sweet dishes grapeseed is much better.

Ingredients
40ml vegetable oil
140g plain flour
pinch salt
cold water

Method
1 Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl.
2 Spoon in the flour and salt.
3 Shake the sieve to allow the flour to be sifted into the mixing bowl.
4 Make a well.
5 Pour the oil into a measuring jug.
6 Add 1 tablepsoon of cold water to the oil.
7 Whisk to mix the oil and water into an emulsion.
8 Gradually add the emulsion to the flour and salt, stop when you have a firm dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out large enough to cover the base of a 20cm pie dish.