Broccoli Rabe and Bacon Pastry Bites
In these triangular pastry pockets, flaky layers of phyllo enclose a savory filling of bacon, broccoli rabe, fresh rosemary, garlic, and onion. They make great party appetizers and can be made in advance, stored in a freezer bag for up to 2 months, and then baked as the recipe instructs.
A filling of spinach and feta cheese is traditional, but I wanted to substitute bacon for the feta cheese and use a different green. I turned to kale, but it disappointed me. A second test, with broccoli rabe, gave each bite a wonderful pepperiness that the kale lacked. If you haven’t worked before with phyllo pastry, be sure to read all my kitchen notes. Once phyllo sheets are exposed to air, they dry out quickly, making separating the tissue thin sheets without tearing them very difficult. And practice mise en place, prepping all your ingredients before you are ready to stuff and roll the phyllo sheets.
These are a little fussy to make, but if like me you enjoy the craft of cooking, you’ll enjoy the process of cutting the dough, filling it, and rolling it up like a flag to shape these tasty packets.
Half a medium bunch broccoli rabe (about 9 ounces), rinsed
5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
2/3 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 large clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 stick unsalted butter
10 phyllo sheets, thawed if frozen
1.) Cut off and discard the bottom 3 inches of the thick broccoli rabe stems.
2.) Chop the remaining broccoli rabe coarsely into 1 to 2-inch pieces. (You should have about 5 packed cups of trimmed, chopped broccoli rabe.)
3.) Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the broccoli rabe and cook about 4 minutes or until nearly tender but still a dark green.
4.) Transfer the broccoli rabe to a colander and set it aside to drain.
5.) Using paper towels, wipe the saucepan dry. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes until some of the fat is rendered, and the bacon is very lightly browned, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the bacon sizzling in the pan. Add the onion and cook 2 minutes, or until the onion is slightly softened, stirring occasionally. Add the rosemary and the garlic, and cook about 30 seconds more or until fragrant, stirring and scarping up any browned bits at the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the drained broccoli rabe, and mix well to combine. Taste and season with black pepper. (There’s no need for extra salt; the bacon adds plenty.) Set the mixture aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
6.) Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. (Take care not to let the butter brown or burn.) Stir the hot pepper sauce into the butter and set aside.
Kitchen Tip: The phyllo sheets are brushed with melted butter to keep them from drying out, and I’ve added a little hot sauce to perk up the flavor of the phyllo dough. If the butter-hot sauce mixture solidifies before you’re finished making all the pastries, simply reheat it again over very low heat a few seconds.
7.) Position two racks in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
8.) Remove the thawed phyllo from its box and cover the stack of phyllo sheets with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel.
Kitchen Tip: It’s essential to keep the phyllo sheets under this cover of plastic wrap and a damp towel as you work. Otherwise, the sheets will quickly dry out and you’ll find it impossible to remove single sheets from the stack without tearing them. If a sheet does tear so that it’s no longer usable, just discard it and peel off another. About halfway through the stuffing and rolling process, I gently turn the entire stack of sheets over to start using sheets from the bottom of the pile that are more moist than those on top.
9.) Remove one phyllo sheet carefully from the stack and place it on a work surface with the long edge facing you. ( Be sure to cover the phyllo stack with the plastic wrap and damp towel!) Gently brush the sheet all over with the melted butter-hot sauce mixture, especially brushing the edges to keep them from cracking.
10.) Cover with another phyllo sheet and brush again with the butter mixture.
11.) Using a pastry wheel, cut the buttered phyllo sheets into 6 strips, each about 12 inches long by 2-3/4 inches wide. It helps me to first cut the phyllo sheets in half crosswise and then “eye-ball it” so to speak, cutting each half into 3 equally-wide strips that are about 2-3/4-inches wide.
12.) Place a heaping teaspoon of filling into the corner of a pastry strip closest to you. (It’s really more like 2 teaspoons of filling!)
13.) Then starting at the corner, fold like you would a flag to enclose the filling and to form a triangle-shape pastry.
Keep folding until you have reached the end of the phyllo strip.
15.) When you’ve reached the end, place the pastry seam-side down, on a large ungreased baking sheet. Repeat the process to make 24 pastries, 12 to a baking sheet. Brush the tops of each pastry with the melted butter mixture.
16.) Bake the pastries in the preheated oven for 14 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before serving warm.
Makes 24 to 26 pastries.
Kitchen Tip: Unused phyllo sheets can be rerolled, wrapped up and refrozen for up to 2 months.
