Banh Pate So | Pork Pate Pastry

I was introduced to this pastry by my older brother years ago. During my TVB drama days, Anh Cuong would make weekly trips to the Vietnamese video store to rent the lastest drama series for me, mom, and Phuong. He'd also stop by the Vietnamese store and brought home this pastry for me ever so often when they had them.
It was introduced to me again by his now fiance, Chi Tammy, during their most recent visit here. Incorporating bits and pieces of different recipes I found on the web with some of Chi Tammy's techniques, I baked up some of my own fluffy and flaky yumminess!

18 small pastries:



Thaw a package of puff pastry (2 sheets)






As the sheets thaw, prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix together 1 lb. of ground pork, 2-3 tablespoons of pate, 1 medium onion - diced, 1 small carrot - shredded and cut into small pieces, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 green onion - cut into small pieces. Season with fish sauce, salt, and black pepper.


Also prepare the egg yolk wash - beat together egg yolk and toasted sesame seeds.


For small servings: Cut each sheet into 9 squares, fill half of the square with pork mixture, leaving the edge free to be sealed.


Fold over the other half and press edges down with a fork to seal. Brush the yolk over the top of the pastries. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and pop them in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.


Serve while they are fresh out the oven.


2nd batch without egg-wash.



I forgot the step of slitting the top of the pies to allow steam to escape. With no place else to go, the steam escaped through the bad seal job, causing the openings hehe Not bad for the first attempt!