Classic Cornish Pasty Food

CORNISH PASTY

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, cover carrots with water. Bring water to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool and slice. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Add butter, and rub to the consistency of coarse crumbs. Mix in water. If dough is sticky, add more flour.
• Roll dough out until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out six circles, each about 5 inches round. Do not stretch the dough.
• Mix meat and vegetables together, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover half of each pasty base with the filling. Moisten pastry edges, fold pastry over the filling. Press edges together with a fork. Transfer raw pasties to a baking sheet, brush tops with milk, and make a small slit in each top to allow steam out.
• Bake at 450 degrees F ( 230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for 35 minutes.

CLASSIC CORNISH PASTY

Steps:

• Tip the flour into the bowl and add the shortening, a pinch of salt, the margarine or butter and all of the water.
• Use a spoon to gently combine the ingredients. Then use your hands to crush everything together, bringing the ingredients together as a fairly dry dough.
• Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface (there's no need to put flour or oil onto the surface because it's a tight rather than sticky dough).
• Knead the dough to combine the ingredients properly. Use the heel of your hand to stretch the dough. Roll it back up into a ball, then turn it, stretch and roll it up again. Repeat this process for about 5-6 minutes. The dough will start to become smooth as the shortening breaks down. If the dough feels grainy, keep working it until it's smooth and glossy. Don't be afraid to be rough - you'll need to use lots of pressure and work the dough vigorously to get the best results.
• When the dough is smooth, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for 30-60 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, peel and cut the potato, swede and onion into cubes about 1cm/½in square. Cut the beef into similar sized chunks. Put all four ingredients into a bowl and mix. Season well with salt and some freshly ground black pepper, then put the filling to one side until the dough is ready.
• Lightly grease a baking tray with margarine (or butter) and line with baking or silicone paper (not greaseproof).
• Preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan assisted)/325F/Gas 3.
• Once the dough has had time to relax, take it out of the fridge. The margarine or butter will have chilled, giving you a tight dough. Divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a disc roughly 25cm/10in wide (roughly the same size as a dinner plate).
• Spoon a quarter of the filling onto each disc. Spread the filling on one half of the disc, leaving the other half clear. Put a knob of butter or margarine on top of the filling.
• Carefully fold the pastry over, join the edges and push with your fingers to seal. Crimp the edge to make sure the filling is held inside - either by using a fork, or by making small twists along the sealed edge. Traditionally Cornish pasties have around 20 crimps. When you've crimped along the edge, fold the end corners underneath.
• Put the pasties onto the baking tray and brush the top of each pasty with the egg and salt mixture. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45 minutes or until the pasties are golden-brown. If your pasties aren't browning, increase the oven temperature by 10C/25F for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

CORNISH PASTY

Steps:

• Rub the butter and lard into the flour with a pinch of salt using your fingertips or a food processor, then blend in 6 tbsp cold water to make a firm dough. Cut equally into 4, then chill for 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix together the filling ingredients with 1 tsp salt. Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until large enough to make a round about 23cm across - use a plate to trim it to shape. Firmly pack a quarter of the filling along the centre of each round, leaving a margin at each end. Brush the pastry all the way round the edge with beaten egg, carefully draw up both sides so that they meet at the top, then pinch them together to seal. Lift onto a non-stick baking tray and brush with the remaining egg to glaze.
• Bake for 10 mins, then lower oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and cook for 45 mins more until golden. Great served warm.

CORNISH PASTIES

Steps:

• Combine ½ cup flour, shortening, 6 tbsp ice water and salt in large bowl and beat well with large whisk or wooden spoon.
• Using fingertips, blend in remaining flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• If too dry, add up to 2 tbsp more ice water, a few drops at a time.
• Gather dough into ball.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Combine beef, potatoes, onion and herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Stir in enough beef gravy to bind mixture.
• Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to thickness of 1/8 of an inch.
• Using 5-6 inch in diameter, round cutter, cut 10 circles.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Lightly grease baking sheet.
• Mound meat mixture lightly in center of each circle; brush border with milk; fold dough in half over filling, pinching edges together to seal.
• Brush pastries with milk.
• Arrange on prepared sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 340F and continue baking until pasties are light brown, about 45-50 minutes.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

AUTHENTIC CORNISH PASTIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425* F.
• Combine potato, onion, meat, and seasonings; mix together well.
• Cut butter and shortening into flour in a bowl until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add about 2 tablespoons cold water and mix with a fork to form a firm dough (add more water if necessary, until mixture just holds together).
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly a few times. Cut into quarters, and roll each quarter out into a 6-7 inch circle. Trim by using a small plate placed over pastry and cutting around edge with a small, sharp knife.
• Divide filling between each circle of pastry. Wet edges with water and fold pastry into a semi-circle, pressing edges together. Flute edges with fingers to form a tight seal.
• Place pasties onto a baking sheet and brush with egg or milk. Bake at 425* F for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and heated through. May be served hot or cold.