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A pasty is a British baked pastry, traditionally associated with Cornwall but popular all over the British Isles. The traditional Cornish pasty is filled with beef, potato, swede (also known as yellow turnip or rutabaga) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper.

During the 17^th and 18^th centuries, the pasty became popular with working people in Cornwall, where tin miners and others adopted it because of its unique shape, forming a complete meal that could be carried easily and eaten without cutlery. In a mine, the pasty’s dense, folded pastry could stay warm for several hours, and if it did get cold, it could easily be warmed on a shovel over a candle.

Side-crimped pasties suggest that miners might have eaten the pasty holding the thick edge of pastry, which was later discarded, ensuring that dirty fingers did not touch the food or mouth.

This recipe is delicious and the ingredients were approved by a Cornish colleague of mine so that means it’s definitely good!

Step by step recipe below and list of ingredients at the end of the post.

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Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Place the chilled and diced butter, chilled and diced lard, flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse until crumbs form, then add the chilled water and pulse again to make a firm dough.

Cut the dough into four pieces, flatten slightly, wrap well and chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling: sauté the finely chopped onion and the crushed garlic together, gently, in the olive oil and butter for 5 minutes, until soft.

Mix with the chopped steak, chopped potato, chopped swede, chopped fresh thyme and salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Roll each pastry ball to about ½ cm thick on a lightly floured surface.

Firmly pack a quarter of the filling in the centre of each round.

Brush all around the edge of the pastry with beaten egg, then bring the sides up around the filling and crimp together firmly.

Place on a lined or non-stick baking tray and brush with remaining beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, and chill for 30 minutes.

Bake the pasties for 10 minutes at 200°C, then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 45 minutes.

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Pasties

From The Great New Zealand Baking Book, copyright © Sue Fleischl from The Great Catering Company

Makes: 4 | Prep time: 45 minutes, plus resting | Cook time: 55 mins | Skill level: 2 (moderate)

Ingredients

Pastry

• 125 g butter, chilled and diced
• 125 g lard, chilled and diced
• 500 g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 6 tbsp chilled water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Filling

• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 500 g skirt or scotch steak, trimmed and chopped into ½ cm cubes
• 1 medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped into ½ cm cubes
• 200 g swede, peeled and chopped into ½ cm cubes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Place butter, lard, flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse until crumbs form, then add water and pulse again to make a firm dough. Cut into four pieces, flatten slightly, wrap well and chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling: sauté onion and garlic together, gently, in olive oil and butter for 5 minutes, until soft. Mix with steak, potato, swede, thyme and salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Roll each pastry ball to ½ cm thick on a lightly floured surface, and cut each into a 23 cm round (we use a plate to do this). Firmly pack a quarter of the filling along the centre-line of each round. Brush all around the edge of the pastry with beaten egg, then bring the sides up around the filling and crimp together firmly.

Place on a lined or non-stick baking tray and brush with remaining beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, and chill for 30 minutes.

Bake pasties for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 45 minutes.

Where to buy the book:

Bookreps New Zealand

Whitcoulls

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