Cornish Pasties from The Cornish Pasty Association
This recipe comes to us from the Cornish Pasty Association. Cornwall takes their namesake pastry very seriously – in fact it has protected status, meaning in order to call it a Cornish Pasty it requires specific ingredients and that it be made in Cornwall. (So ours aren’t actually legally Cornish Pasties, but I feel confident we won’t be fined.)
I’m leaving the measurements in grams and liters, as it’s much more accurate that way. Most kitchen scales will allow you to toggle between units.
For Shortcrust Pastry
500 g Bread Flour
120 g Lard or White Shortening
125 g Butter
1 tsp Salt
175 ml Cold Water
For the Filling
400 g Skirt Steak, cut into cubes
300 g Potato, peeled and diced (use a waxy potato such as red skinned or Yukon Gold)
150 g Rutabaga, peeled and diced (turnip can be used, but it’s not traditional)
150 g Onion, peeled and sliced
Salt & pepper to taste
Beaten egg or milk to glaze
METHOD
Add the salt to the flour in a large mixing bowl.
Rub the two types of fat lightly into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add water, bring the mixture together and knead until the pastry becomes elastic. This will take longer than normal pastry but it gives the pastry the strength that is needed to hold the filling and retain a good shape. This can also be done in a food mixer.
Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 3 hours in the fridge. This is a very important stage as it is almost impossible to roll and shape the pastry when fresh.
Roll out the pastry and cut into circles approx. 20cm diameter (7¾ – 8”). A side plate is an ideal size to use as a guide.
Layer the raw vegetables and meat on top of the pastry, adding plenty of seasoning as you go. The amount of salt and pepper to use will vary according to taste but a good rule of thumb is to use a good pinch of salt and a gentle pinch of pepper on each layer.
Bring the pastry around and crimp the edges together. (See photos below for 2 examples of crimping.)
Glaze with beaten egg or an egg and milk mixture.
Bake at 375°F for about 50 – 55 minutes until golden.
