Recipe

Phyllo Pastry

Step 1: Combine the flour, salt, and water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix at low speed. As soon as the ingredients start to come together, pour in the oil in a thin stream.

Step 2: Stop mixing as soon as the dough is amalgamated. Use a spatula to scrape down any dough sticking to the sides of the bowl and the dough hook. Switch the motor to medium speed and work the dough for 3-4 minutes. It will almost come away from the bowl when it is fairly soft and slightly sticky.

Step 3: Put the dough on the counter and shape it into a ball. Divide it into pieces about 2-1/2 oz. each. Shape each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet dusted with cornstarch, spacing them several inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest somewhere fairly cool (57-61ºF if possible) for at least 2 hours before using the phyllo.

Step 4: Lightly dust a 24″ round wooden board with cornstarch and place a ball of phyllo in the middle. Using a long, thin wooden pole as a rolling pin, roll it into a 5-1/2-6-1/4″ disc. From this point on, press down with your hands on each end of the pole to stretch the dough sideways. It is essential to keep dusting the top of the phyllo as you stretch it.

Step 5: As soon as the sheet of phyllo is the perfect thinness (0.5 mm), lay on a baking sheet and immediately cover with a lightly dampened dish towel or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Step 6: Make another sheet of phyllo using another ball of dough. Dust the first sheet with cornstarch, then place the second sheet on top and cover with the dish towel or plastic wrap. Continue in this way until you’ve used all the dough, covering the final sheet with the dish towel or plastic wrap. The pile of phyllo sheets can be refrigerated, well wrapped so that they don’t dry out, if used within 24 hours. Brush off every trace of cornstarch before using. You can also freeze them for up to 2 weeks. When ready to use, take them out of the freezer and refrigerate them for 6-8 hours.

Prosciutto Mikados

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut each slice of prosciutto into fine julienne, keeping them separate. Mix the softened butter with the mustard and brush both sides of the phyllo squares very lightly with the mixture.

Step 2: Lay a phyllo square on the counter with one corner facing you and arrange one shredded prosciutto slice on top, crosswise to cover the phyllo. Lift up the corner nearest you and roll up the phyllo to enclose the ham, pressing to make a small roll the thickness of a pencil.

Step 3: Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the phyllo and ham. Bake the mikados in the oven for 2 minutes. As soon as they are cooked, transfer them to a wire rack with a spatula. Serve while still warm.

Reprinted with permission from Michel Roux’s Michel Roux Pastry (2008 Whitecap Books).