Perfect picnic pithivier
Say that ten times fast.
Happy (almost) long weekend. I feel like everyone really needs this break. Do you have any plans? May I suggest a picnic?
Ok, so… I hate to start by bringing up bad memories but remember when we were all locked in our houses for months as COVID ran rampant through Tāmaki Makaurau? Some working, most socialising, and all touching was a big no but we were allowed to have silly little picnics?*. I’ve never been more aware of toilet proximity, lack of flexibility in my knees, and grass itch in my life.
Don't get me wrong—I love a good picnic and have been on many delightful ones. But it was during those experiences that I honed my picnic skills, and I thought I'd share. After all, what's the point of having your own newsletter if you can't express your unsolicited opinions?
Also, there’s a recipe for a perfect picnic pie. A pithivier.
Despite sounding like a spell from Harry Potter, a pithivier is a great entry-level pie for anyone who thinks pastry is fussy - and no, I won’t be encouraging you to make the actual pastry**. There’s no cutting, shaping, or blind baking. You simply lay one piece of pastry down, top it, and enclose it with the second piece. No soggy bottoms are guaranteed. There are many variations of fillings but I’ve gone with a classic. Imagine a large format ham and cheese croissant with the added luxury of mustard-speckled béchamel. Ah oui, s'il vous plait.
*Jacinda forever and ever but by golly it was a hard time.
**If you’re a pastry queen or even just want the challenge, make your own, I have no doubt it will be much better but I want you to know that store-bought will be just fine.
Rosie's tips for picnic success.
It’s all in the prep -
Remove as much packaging as you can beforehand. Reduce what you need to carry in and take a rubbish bag, there are never enough bins.
Premix cocktails are a fun way of being a bit more glamorous. Negronis, margaritas, and sangrias can be pre-made and decanted into a reusable bottle.
Don’t forget water too, I’ve done this too many times.
Take a sharp knife, even if you don’t think you’ll need it. You will.
Also, an extra bag of chips - same reason as above.
Napkins.
For the food -
Try to make everything pick-upable.
Make just one or two things and outsource the rest. Make sandwiches, or a pie but buy your dips and sweets, or vice versa.
If you’re taking cheese, bread, fruit. Slice it, chop it, peel it, chunk it. Precut everything you can.
Salad is yum but can be a faff. A container of chopped crunchy veges and your favourite dip is a great alternative - this also means you don’t have to take plates and cutlery.
Make the most of the sun. Leave one of the thin bars of Whitakers in the sun to melt while you eat. When you’re ready, open it up and scoop fruit or biscuits through it.
Scorched almonds (box removed), or any of the bags of Donovan’s clusters are always crowd-pleasers.
Comfort is key -
Pick a spot that’s close to but not too close to a toilet.
Bring music but be respectful of those around you.
Rugs are essential. A camping chair is even better. Bonus points if it has one of those mesh cup holders.
Lastly, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, bite cream, and a jumper. Cause there’s nothing worse than being burnt, itchy, and cold.
Ham and cheese pithivier.
Ingredients:
500g flaky puff pastry - basically 2 x 20cm squares
150g medium-thickness ham
100g grated cheese. I used tasty but you can use any cheese, comte would be tres chic.
1 portion of béchamel (below)
Egg wash – 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water whisked together
Béchamel:
25 g butter
25 g flour
250 ml (1 cup) full-fat milk
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
S&P
Pull your pastry sheets out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to defrost a bit while you sort everything else.
To make the bechamel, melt the butter in a pan on medium heat and stir in the flour. Cook the mix for 2 minutes - this cooks the flour to make it taste less pastey.
Reduce the heat to low (or take it off the heat altogether). Add a portion of the milk and whisk to combine, then slowly whisk in the rest of the milk - this should reduce your chances of lumps.
Raise the heat to medium and keep whisking until the sauce comes to a boil, allow to thicken for 2 minutes.
Take it off the heat, add the mustard, and season with salt and pepper. The ham and cheese are both salty ingredients so it won’t need much.
Tip the sauce onto a cold tray, lay a piece of baking paper or cling film over the top so that it doesn’t form a skin and place in the fridge to cool down completely.
Preheat the oven (fan bake) to 180 °C.
Pull your pastry, béchamel, and ham from the fridge, grate your cheese and whisk your egg wash together.
Place one piece of pastry on a lightly greased baking tray. Spread the béchamel evenly over the pastry, all the while ensuring that a strip of about 2 cm width from the edge of the pastry remains clean and with nothing on it. Layer the ham on top of the béchamel and then sprinkle the cheese on top of that.
Brush the outside 2 cm of the pastry with egg wash. Place the second piece of pastry over the top and firmly press the edges together with the tines of a fork to seal.
Brush the whole thing with egg wash and for added pizzazz, drag a fork along the top in evenly spaced lines to decorate.
Place into the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
To serve, allow to cool for 10 minutes and cut into four pick-upable pies.
Or, wrap it in tinfoil and transport it to your desired picnic location.
If my absolutely stunning pictures of this pithivier don’t win you over. This one or even this one might convince you to make it.
Other fun recipes to take on a picnic.
This tortilla that’s great as is or can be turned into a sandwich
Have you used the food rescue app Foodprint? Get your loaf of bread, sandwiches or sweet treats from your favourite café at a portion of the price. As someone who is addicted to a reduced-to-clear sticker, it’s my idea of a good time. I’ve even bought a mystery bag of deli meat which was super fun.
I have the complexion of wholegrain mustard béchamel (white and freckly) and so am always on the hunt for a good hat. This one from Ovna Ovich is currently at the top of my shopping list as it has a big ass brim, ties to keep it from blowing off in the wind, it’s made on Karangahape Road and it’s on sale!
That’s it, that’s all. Hope you all spend some time with someone you love this weekend.
Rosie xx