PASTIES

Method

I have two Pasty recipes on this website this one and one I called David's Pasty.

The traditional Cornish Pastry doesn’t have many ingredients. The type of pastry, how the pasty is formed and where it is made make a Cornish Pasty.

The pasty was original made with both a sweet side, usually made with jam or apple and a savoury side for miners to eat. Pasty years ago, was just a vessel to hold the ingredients and wasn’t eaten but things have changed some what and pastry can be the star of the bake if done well.

This pasty is kept simple and near to the traditional original Cornish Pasty. No emails please, this is my version and I am sure many out there will say this and that is wrong! But they do taste nice!

 

Tip the flour into the bowl and lard, a pinch of salt, the butter and mix together using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the water and use a wooden spoon to gently combine the ingredients to form a dough.

Remove the dough from the bowl and work the dough together until it becomes smooth and silky. then form a flattened ball, wrap with cling film and chill in a fridge for 25min

While the dough is chilling, peel and cut the potato, turnip and onion into small cubes about 1cm/½in square. Cut the beef into similar sized chunks. Put all four ingredients into a bowl and mix. Season with salt and some freshly ground black pepper, then put the filling to one side until the dough is ready.

line with baking or silicone paper and Preheat the oven to 170C / 150C fan / 325F/ Gas 3.

Divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a disc roughly 25cm/10in wide (roughly the same size as a dinner plate).

Place a quarter of the filling onto each pastry disc. Spread the filling on one half of the disc, leaving the other half clear. Put a small knob of butter on top of the filling.

Fold the pastry over, join the edges and push with your fingers to seal. Crimp the edge to make sure the filling is held by making small twists along the sealed edge. When you’ve crimped along the edge, fold the end corners underneath.

Put the pasties onto the baking tray and brush the top of each pasty with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the pasties are golden-brown.