Learn how to make this popular Vietnamese buttery and flaky pastry filled with savory goodness of pork filling. They are perfect as snacks or appetizers.
Thaw the puff pastry sheets on the counter 2-3 hours prior to making pate chaud or overnight in the fridge
Separate egg yolk from the white. We will use them separately later
Prepare the filling:
Preheat a skillet with one tablespoon of oil. Add chopped onion and shallots and saute over medium heat until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool down when you prepare other things
Soak bean thread noodles and wood ear mushrooms, separately, in warm water until softened. Use a kitchen shears to cut the noodles into shorter pieces. Cut the wood ear mushrooms into strips
Combine ground pork, pate, noodle pieces, mushrooms, sweet peas, sauteed shallots and onions and the seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Using your clean hand to combine is the most effective to make sure all fillings are well combined
Scoop a small amount of the filling and microwave for few seconds until cook through. Have a taste to make sure the seasonings are good to go. If not, adjust by adding more salt, sugar,fish sauce, and/or pepper
Assembling:
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for a conventional oven. For a convection oven, lower by 20 F or 15 C
Carefully unfold the puff pastry sheets. If it is still too stiff, let it thaw further as you don't want to break the sheets. If certain spot breaks, you can always "patch" it back
Cut each sheet into 3 x 4 rectangles. So you get 12 pieces from each sheet. The pack I got comes with 2 sheets, so a total of 24 pieces
Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling onto the middle of the square. Make sure you don't overstuff it. The filling may burst out during baking
Brush the 4 edges with some egg white. Cover with another piece of puff pastry. Be sure to push some air out as you seal the edge. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the four edges to seal the two pieces of pastries
Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the pastry sheets and filling
Chill before baking:
Put the baking sheet inside a freezer for at least 15 minutes. This will ensure the butter is solidified and when we bake it will give you nice flaky layers
Baking:
Combine egg yolk with water. Brush the top of the puff pastry with some egg yolk wash. I use the tines of a fork to prick some holes to avoid bursting during baking
Bake on the middle rack for 10 minutes and then rotate and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown