Pasty time again

It must be time for me to have a go at making pasties again… Here’s my experience from a couple of years ago – I was really impressed with myself, even more with the pasties!:

I was inspired by a visit to a Cornish café to have a go at making Cornish pasties… we didn’t have one at the café but they did look so good!

I found a recipe, but then adjusted it – it seemed under seasoned to me, and I think the pieces of meat and vegetables should be really quite small. It’s important to use a good quality bread flour so the pastry holds together when cooked… I must admit I had bought a cheap bag of flour, and my pastry split when I took it off the tray.

Cornish Pasty Recipe

These quantities will make three biggish Cornish pasties.

Pastry

• 250 g good quality strong bread flour (not ordinary plain flour)
• 60 g lard
• 60 g butter
• 1 tsp salt
• cold water
• 1 beaten egg to glaze the pastry

Filling

• 450 g good quality beef, cut into tiny pieces
• 225 g potato, diced very small
• 225 g swede, diced very small
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly then cut into small pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste (I used 3 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and I think I should have used a bit more)

Method

1. Rub the fat into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add as much cold water as you need to form into pastry, then knead it lightly but long enough for it to be more like dough, a bit stretchy and smooth; put into an oiled plastic bag or cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours in the fridge.
3. Dived the pastry into three equal pieces and roll it out into equal circles – about the size of a breakfast plate
4. Mix the cut vegetables, meat and seasoning together and put onto the pastry, then fold it over, sealing it with water, and crimp the edges
5. Glaze and bake at gas mark 3, 325° F, 170° C for about 50-60mins (mine needed another ten mins after this… I had a dreaded soggy bottom!!)