Marmite and Cheddar Turnovers

Even if you aren’t a fan of marmite, when you try these marmite and cheddar turnovers, you’ll likely change your mind. The savoury, concentrated flavour of the marmite complements the rich cheddar and the buttery, flaky puff pastry in a perfect symphony of flavour!

I was introduced to marmite while living in New Zealand. Everyone told me it was a love or hate kind of thing; you’ll either love it or hate it, no in-between. You can’t really be neutral towards something as powerful as marmite. Like durian, Egyptian mish (stinky, maggoty, pickled cheese), marmite is a food product that demands a strong opinion. That’s usually the case with foods that have strong flavours.

Marmite has a strong, umami flavour. It tastes salty, a little metallic, pungent and if you try it on its own you will likely recoil. However, when combined with other flavours, marmite adds a beautiful dimension and umami to foods that would otherwise be too bland. While living in New Zealand, one of my favourite foods became marmite grilled cheese sandwich. This recipe takes that idea just a little further. If you want to know more about marmite, check this link.

I recommend buying some frozen puff pastry sheets for use in this recipe. You can, of course, make your own. But seriously, why would you? Unless you’re a real baking buff, buying ready-made puff pastry is much easier. I also recommend keeping a few sheets of frozen puff pastry in your freezer at all times. They’re super convenient and you can turn them into a delicious meal in no time. They’re good both sweet and savoury.

Ingredients

1. One large thawed puff pastry sheet cut into squares of approximately 15 cm by 15 cm. (For vegetarians: make sure you use puff pastry made with butter or vegetable margarine).
2. Half a cup of grated cheddar cheese, or more depending on the number of squares you intend to fill
3. About half a teaspoon of marmite per square/turnover
4. One egg, beaten with a fork in a bowl

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit, or according to the puff pastry package instructions.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. In each puff pastry square, place a full tablespoon of grated cheese. Top that with half a teaspoon of marmite.
4. Fold the puff pastry sheet and seal the edges.
5. Using a fork, poke holes into the puff pastry to allow the air to escape. If you don’t poke holes in it, it will end up exploding and breaking apart. You really don’t want to deal with that! (The road to this recipe was lined with many exploded puff pastry turnovers)
6. Brush the egg onto the top of the puff pastry turnovers
7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom looks browned and cooked too and make sure it has puffed up nicely. Serve with salad for a little green stuff next to this meal! Enjoy!

For similar recipes, check out:

1. Roasted Tomatoes Feta Toast
2. Crispy Tofu Zoodles
3. Homemade Oven-dried Tomatoes

© 2019, L.E.. All rights reserved.