Traditional cornish pasties
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Serves:
8
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Yield:
8 pasties
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Ready in:
2 hours 5 mins
(50 mins
Prep
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1 hour 15 mins
Cook)
A hearty meal-in-one, make these satisfying pasties for a picnic or packed lunch, or enjoy with salad.
Ingredients
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Shortcrust pastry:
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450g plain white flour
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250g chilled butter, diced (or half butter and half white vegetable fat)
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Filling:
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350g lean chuck steak, finely diced
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1 small onion, finely chopped
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1 potato, about 175g, peeled and finely diced
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175g butternut squash or swede, peeled and finely diced
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2 tbsp beef or vegetable stock
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3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
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salt and freshly ground black pepper
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beaten egg or milk, to glaze
Preparation method
- Sift the flour and a pinch of salt together into a mixing bowl. Rub in the fat until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 6 tbsp chilled water evenly over the surface, then mix with a round-bladed knife or fork. Add a little more water if the mixture is too dry. Gather the dough together, then lightly knead on a floured surface for a few seconds until smooth. Wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the steak, onion, potato, squash or swede, stock and parsley in a bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix well. Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas 6).
- Divide the pastry into eight pieces, then roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to a 20cm round. Spoon an equal amount of the filling onto the centre of each pastry round.
- Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg or milk, then bring together at the top. Press the edges firmly together to seal, then crimp the edges or pattern them with a fork.
- Place the pasties on lightly greased or non-stick baking trays and brush with beaten egg or milk. Make a small hole in each to allow some of the steam to escape. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (gas 3) and cook for a further 45 minutes–1 hour or until the pastry is nicely golden and the filling is cooked. (Test by piercing in several places with a fine skewer – it should go through with little resistance.) Serve hot, warm or cold.
Copyright
Copyright by The Readers Digest Association, Inc. 2005
COOK SMART
*If time is short, use two 375g packets of ready-made shortcrust pastry.
*Add extra flavour by blending 1/2 tsp English mustard with the stock. You could also make up the vegetable content with some diced carrot or turnip.
*Pasties will freeze well for up to 2 months.