Traditional Cornish Pasty
Ingredients
Pastry
- 600g plain flour
- 160g cold butter
- 160g cold lard
- 1 tsp salt
- 250ml cold water
- 1 beaten egg (for glazing)
Filling
- 500g skirt steak, finely diced
- 1 medium onion
- 180g potatoes, thinly sliced
- 180g swede, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper, generous amount
- 4 knobs butter
Preparation
Put the flour, butter, lard and salt in a mixing bowl and semi rub in the fat - some larger lumps will make a nicer pastry. Make a well and add the water, then use a butter knife to bring the mixture together and press into a ball with your hands. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Divide pastry into 4 balls. Flour the kitchen top and rolling pin, then roll out one ball just enough that you can cut around a 26cm plate. Keep any off cuts for patching up or letters for the pasties.
Lay half the pastry disc over the rolling pin. The front half is for the filling. Make a light indentation 2.5cm from the edge, as a border for your filling.
Place a thin layer of steak, swede, potato, onion and season generously. Repeat with a second thin layer of steak, swede, potato and onion, season again, finish off with a little steak, a little seasoning and one knob of butter.
Pat a little cold water on the pastry edge, then lift the back piece of pastry over the filling to make a lid, gently bring them together, don’t worry if they don’t quite meet, then crimp.
Start at the top. Place your thumb on the top piece and your index finger underneath, with a firm movement twist the pastry up and back towards you and down, plaiting the top and bottom together until complete. Repeat for the other pasties.
Place pasties on a floured baking tray with room between each. Brush with egg and then stab a small hole in the tops. Bake at 200 degrees C for 40 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave the pasties to rest in the oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
This recipe is for traditional Cornish pasties, which can be enjoyed any day, as inspired by Cornish culture.
