Original Cornish Pastys


Ingredients:

For the Pastry (This is for Short-crust)
One and a half Cups Plain Flour
Lard or vegetable fat
Pinch of salt
Water

For the pasty filling
Chuck steak
Two Large potatoes
Half large turnip (swede)
One large onion
Salt and pepper to taste
Water


Directions:

The Pastry
Place flour and salt in a bowl, rub in the fat, until the mixture is so fine that it falls through the fingers. Tip mixture onto a lightly floured table top. With your index finger make a well in the centre of the mixture. Add water a little at a time until it forms a pliable but stiff dough.

The Cornish Pasty Filling
Finely chop the steak. Dice the potato, turnip (swede) and onion. You may prefer to slice them. Add seasoning. Mix all in a bowl or to be really authentic use your kitchen table top.

Using a floured table top roll out half the dough to a circle the size of a plate. Make a mound of the filling in the centre of the dough. Dampen round the edge of the dough with either water, or milk. Fold over the dough, to make a half moon shape, crimping the edges. Make a slit to let out steam. Brush with beaten egg to glaze.

Cooking your Cornish Pasty
Place on lightly greased metal baking tray in the middle of a preheated oven, for around 40 minutes at 450 F . The pasty is cooked when their undersides turn brown and crisp.


Notes:

There are various versions of a pasty ..some people put peas and carrot in !! But trust me ..as a Cornish gal born and bred this is the authentic recipe passed down by my family :o) To be really authentic ..before cooking lightly score the persons initials on top at each end this is because in olden days when taken down mines one end had potatoes etc in and other end sweet stuff like apples etc.  Enjoy ...


print recipe