traditional Cornish pasty

[lauraandrew]

I'm from Cornwall in England, back in the old days when people used to mine here.. miners wives would need to make them a filling and scrumptious lunch to keep them going all day, however, in the good old days they used to make a pasty filled halfway with apples (like an apple pie) and the other half contained the steak. yummm ( a dinner and dessert in one!)  this is a classic and is lovely for dinner, picnics and lunchtime.. its usually served on its own or with chunky chips. hope you enjoy some of my classic heritage dish.

Pasty:

• 450g plain flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1tsp salt
• 125g unsalted butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 125ml cold water

Filling:

• 450g potato, finely diced
• 150g swede, finely diced
• 150g onion, finely chopped
• 300g beef skirt, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 40g butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• Method

1. To make the pastry: Place the flour, baking powder, salt, butter and egg yolks into a food processor and blitz until the mixture forms crumbs. Slowly add the water until a ball of pastry miraculously appears - you may not need all the water. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and leave it to chill in the fridge for an hour.
2. To prepare the filling: Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Roll out the pastry to the thickness you like, but be careful not to tear it. Using a dinner plate as a template, cut out 6 discs of pastry.
3. Season the vegetables separately with salt and black pepper. Put the beef into a bowl and mix with the flour and some salt and pepper. Place some potatoes, swede, onions and beef on one half of the circle, leaving a gap round the edge. Dot with butter. Brush around the perimeter of the pastry circle with the beaten egg, then fold the pastry over the vegetables and meat and seal firmly. Starting at one side, crimp the edges over to form a sealed D-shaped pasty. Brush the whole pasty with beaten egg, then make a steam hole in the centre with a sharp knife.
4. Repeat to make the other pasties. Put the pasties in the oven and cook for 50 mins until they are crispy and golden and the filling is cooked through. Leave them to rest for 5-10 mins before eating.