Traditional Cornish Pastie

Many people are under the impression that a cornish pastie is made with puff pastry, minced beef and carrot. They are wrong.

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry - for 1-2 pasties use 1/2 lb of flour, 4 oz of fat
diced poatoes - small cubes
diced onion (optional)
braising steak or stewing steak, diced
diced swede (optional)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
dab of margerine
pinch of flour

Preparation

Roll out the pastry. Use a bowl or plate to cut out a circle. Bear in mind that a pastie is very filling. Normally a dinner plate is about the right size.

Place the circle of pastry on to foil. Put the diced meat, potatoes, onion and swede into the centre of the pastry. you can check the amount of filling is correct by lifting the sides of the pastry up together.

The two edges should be able to meet at the top, with enough room to seal the pastie. mix up the filling up a bit, then arrange it into an oval shape, with space at either end to seal. put a pinch of salt and pepper on top of the filling.

Add a dab of margerine using 2 teaspoons, to keep the pastie moist, and a pinch of flour to soak up any juices. Get a cup of water, and using your fingertips, put water all the way around the edge of the pastry, leaving no gaps and about an inch wide.

With dry hands, fold up the pastry, starting at the bottom of the pastie where the filling is, and moving your hands upwards to fix the top.

You may have to talke out some of the filling to fit it in, otherwise it will poke out through the pastry.Ccrimp the edges of the pastry to keep the pastie's shape. If making several with different fillings, mark the pastry with the inital of the person it is for. Fold the foil over into a 'pastie' shape around the pastie, scrunching it up at the top, so you can open it later. Put it in the oven at gas mark 5 for 2-3 hours

For the last 1/2 hour, take off the foil to brown off the pasties. Move them around the oven occasionally to cook them faster, as they will cook slowly if left in the centre. When they are cooked, they will be golden brown, and you can insert a knife into the pastry to make sure.

Comments:
They can be made in large batches then frozen for practically as long as you like. They can be cooked straight from frozen, though they will need slightly longer in the oven. Any extra contents can also be frozen and used another time. If they are kept in the freezer, the pastry will be more crisp when cooked. They are much better than the ones sold in the shops - you will never eat one with carrot in again! When they are in the oven you can mostly forget about them, as they are so easy! They are eaten on their own, as they are very filling, and everything is already inside!

Actually I don't think there is any such thing as a "
Cornish"
pastie anymore the recipe has changed so much from the original and people these days really don't pay to much attention to what they eat if you give some one a pastie of any description now they automatically think it the thing to eat but thank you George one for my recipe book

Carmen wrote:

Actually I don't think there is any such thing as a "
Cornish"
pastie anymore the recipe has changed so much from the original and people these days really don't pay to much attention to what they eat if you give some one a pastie of any description now they automatically think it the thing to eat but thank you George one for my recipe book

Melton Mowbray Pies aren't made there anymore either - what a world we live in!! Thanks for the recipe George, will have to pass on the onions though, I have become allergic to the wretched things, can't eat anything with onion in it. We have a man from Cornwall here in Altinkum and he makes really good pies, I haven't got him to make one with no onions yet so I haven't been privy to the delights of his pies, but live in hope that eventually he will produce one that is onion free.
Eric

Stop it your all making my mouth water and I'm now yearning for a real pastie and have no chance of getting one in Bulgaria

Hi Eric,

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Regards, George

coriolanus wrote:

Hi Eric,

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Regards, George

Many thanks George for the details of the Melton Mowbray Pies.

Below you will find a picture of these wonderful pies, unfortunately here in Turkey they would be regarded as hand grenades and I would be arrested for disturbing the peace or even worse for inciting a riot.

They are absolutely mouth watering, what a picture!!!!

I always find it easier in Bulgaria to actually make them with ready made puff pastry, as this is freely available in most supermarkets and smaller 'stokis'.

They still come out fine.

Plenty of mince (kaima), carrots (morkov), and onion (luk) with a bit of garlic thrown in (chesun).

Lovely!

Hi Chris.whats the puff pastry called in Bulgarian? any idea


Mike

napeno tecto za eklapi (pareno testo za eklari)

I only use the one from Billa ... the rest I've tried have been garbage.

As George said, basically it's 'testo' тесто, but in Billa, they have 'butter testo' буттер тесто, it comes in double packs, huge sheets of the stuff.

Great also for making pie lids. Just defreeze them, brush with beaten egg or milk, and away you go. 20 mins in the oven and perfect pastry (it's dirt cheap as well!).

A bit like a Forfar bridie then. They are shortcrust pastry with a filling of beef and onions. Sort of a horseshoe shape. My great uncle had a bakers
shop in Forfar, and when we went to visit he would make us individual ones according to our size/age!
I always buy some to bring back to England when up visiting family.
Lovely!

Scunnered wrote:

A bit like a Forfar bridie then. They are shortcrust pastry with a filling of beef and onions. Sort of a horseshoe shape. My great uncle had a bakers
shop in Forfar, and when we went to visit he would make us individual ones according to our size/age!
I always buy some to bring back to England when up visiting family.
Lovely!

we used to have bridies in the shop, but they were awful :)) Obviously, the mass-manufactured ones have nothing on the home made ones you are talking about

I think they are best eaten fresh, Coriolanus. Ours were always delicious!

Scunnered wrote:

I think they are best eaten fresh, Coriolanus. Ours were always delicious!

I'm sure they were, scunnered. I've only been up to Scotland the once (Craigendarroch), but that was all catered and we didn't get the chance to get hold of any bridies or suchlike :