What do you think of when you hear the phrase 'parcels of joy'? Dumplings? Filled pastries? Biscuits with surprises inside? Everyone's answer might be different but it's a phrase with an uplifting, happy (and delicious) ring to it, and when we saw it was the title of an episode of The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, we knew one thing for sure - all the recipes featured would make us smile. We were not wrong! And it got us thinking about other delightful 'parcels of joy' from the SBS Food archives.
This is the recipe Adam shares in the episode: a Sichuan classic that delivers "full-throttle dumpling joy". The dumplings are filled with spiced minced pork and served with a sweet, aromatic soy sauce boasting the flavours of ginger, cassia and star anise, plus sesame seeds and a drizzling of chilli oil.
Folded and filled pastry triangles are a staple in countless countries. This example, a recipe from Albania, is a lovely project for anyone looking for the satisfaction of DIY: a simple homemade dough, rolled thin and filled with a mixture of salty cheese, milk and egg.
Still, with the pastry parcels, we now turn to filo, which makes deliciously flaky parcels - such as these, filled with lamb with fragrant spices and a touch of pomegranate molasses.
There's something about homemade bread, right? Well, why not use that and add to it the magnificence of butter chicken. If you've made a big batch of butter chicken and have leftovers, this is a great way to use it up - easy homemade bread that is filled and then pan-fried in a little ghee until golden.
If you've got a little more time on your hand, a yeasted bread also makes a great 'parcel' - such as this spinach, feta and pine nut triangle recipe from Paul Hollywood.
Feeling like a fresh parcel of joy? That's what Steve Simpson delivers on The Cook Up with this recipe, where the combination of blue swimmer crab in a creamy mayo dressing, crunchy apple and celeriac, and crisp lettuce leaves is light and refreshing.
Is it the vibrant colours on display? Is it the fun of making your own little parcel? Or the flavour bomb in your mouth? It's all three, we reckon, that make these a leading example of the 'parcels of joy' idea. Get in there and embrace the DIY parcel deliciousness.
Moving on to the sweeter side of parcel joy, there's a world of sticky pastries, including these crisp, golden Lebanese pastry fingers, filled with clotted cream and drenched with fragrant syrup.
Sweet genius Anna Polyviou shared this recipe on the 'Parcels of Joy' episode. The same dough is used three ways; to make cookies filled with Nutella, cookies filled with Biscoff and a cookie with tiny cookies (mini Oreos) inside.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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