Cornish Pasty Food

CHEF JOHN'S CORNISH PASTY

Steps:

• Cut flour, lard, cold butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt together in a bowl with a pastry blender until mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in ice water. Mix with a fork until mixture begins to come together; use hands to form into a dough ball.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth and forms a firm ball, about 2 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Stir steak, potatoes, onion, turnip, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until evenly-combined.
• Beat egg and 1 teaspoon water together in a small bowl.
• Divide dough into 4 equal rounds and roll each round out to about 1/8-inch thickness and 8-inches in diameter. Brush each dough round with egg mixture.
• Place 1/4 of the steak mixture slightly off-center on each round of dough, and top steak mixture with 2 slices butter. Fold dough over steak filling to form a half moon shape and press edges together to seal. Trim excess dough from edges of pasties. Transfer pasties to the prepared baking sheet and crimp edges with the tines of a fork; poke fork 1 time into the top center of each pasty and brush tops with egg mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbly, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

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.

AUTHENTIC CORNISH PASTIES

Steps:

• To Make the Shortcrust Pastry: Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times until combined. Add the cold butter and lard and pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water a little at a time, pulsing between additions, until the mixture begins to come together. DO NOT over-mix the dough or the pastry crust will be tough and won't be flaky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using (this is crucial). (Can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for up to 3 months.)
• To Make the Cornish Pasties: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Cut it into 6 equal pieces (rolling the dough into a log and then cutting makes this easier). Wrap and keep the other 5 pieces chilled in the fridge while you're working on one at a time. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a 8 inch circle that's about 1/8 inch thick. You can use an 8-inch plate as your guide and cut the dough around it to form your circle.
• Layer the filling (see note at end): Put layer of potatoes down the center of the pastry circle, leaving about 3/4 inch space on the top and bottom edges of the pastry dough. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next add a layer of rutabagas, onions and finally the beef, adding a light sprinkling of salt and pepper between each layer. Lay a couple pats of butter on top of the beef and sprinkle a little flour over the filling.
• Wet the tips of your fingers and lightly moisten the edges of the pastry dough. For this next part work gently so that the filling doesn't puncture through the dough. If this happens, patch up the hole with some of the scrap pieces of pastry dough. Bring the sides up and seal the pasty down the middle. Turn the pasty onto its side and crimp the edges in traditional Cornish fashion (see blog post pictures as a visual).
• Assemble the remaining pasties and lay them on a lined baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the center of each pasty. Lightly brush each pasty with the beaten egg mixture.
• Bake the Cornish pasties on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes until golden in color. Remove from the oven and let them sit for about 10 minutes (they will be very hot inside) before eating. They can be reheated in the oven (recommended for a crispier crust) or microwave. NOTE: Depending on how full you stuff the pasties you may have leftover filling. No worries, just fry it up together or add it to soup and enjoy it as a separate meal.

VERY EASY CORNISH PASTY

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
• Soften the onion for about 5 mins, then add garlic and thyme and fry for another 2 mins on high temperature. Add the mince and fry for about 10 mins until browned, add potato and carrot fry for a couple of minutes then add flour, stir well and pour the beef stock over, add a pinch of salt and a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper and stir some more. Reduce the heat, partly cover and leave to simmer for 30 mins, stir occasionally.
• When the filling is cooked, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed (make sure you add plenty of pepper )
• Then leave it to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 180C, line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.
• Roll out the pastry and cut into 3-4 circles of about 25cm diameter.
• Separate the filling in 3-4 portions and place each portion slightly to one side of each pastry circle, top it with few frozen peas. Apply egg around the edge, then fold it in a half and seal it. Place the pastries on the baking try and glaze them with egg.
• Bake them in the oven for about 30 mins.
• Cool them and enjoy warm or cold.

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:

• Make pie crust: Mix flour by hand with 1/2 of shortening till crumbly.
• Add remaining shortening and continue to mix.
• Salt may be added to flour if desired.
• Add water- mix with fork until forms into a ball.
• Roll out into top and bottom crust.
• Or may use purchased crust.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Put uncooked pie crust into bottom of 9" pie plate.
• Cover with a layer of sliced potatoes.
• Sprinkle with 1/3 of the onions.
• Crumble 1/2 ground chuck and spread over potatoes.
• Continue layering ending with potatoes and onions.
• Cover with top crust.
• Put a few holes in it for steam to escape.
• Bake approximately 1 1/2 hours until potatoes are soft.
• Let sit 10 minutes before slicing.
• Serve in slices as a pie with Chili Sauce on the side.

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.

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.

CORNISH PASTIES

Steps:

• For the pastry: Sift the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl and add the butter and lard. Using your fingers, 2 knives, or a pastry blender, cut the butter and lard into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and water together and add to the flour mixture. Mix quickly, but thoroughly, until mixture just comes together to form a dough. Knead briefly until pastry is smooth with no cracks; the trick to making this delicate pastry easy to work with is kneading it just enough so that it can be rolled out and manipulated without breaking but yet retains its lovely crumbly texture. Press into a flattened disk shape and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight before proceeding.
• Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and unwrap. Allow to soften slightly, then place on a lightly floured work surface and roll the pastry to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Using a small plate or saucer as a guide, cut out 6 (6-inch) rounds. (Scraps may be combined and reformed if you cannot get 6 rounds out of the first batch.) Stack the pastry rounds onto pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper (with pieces between each round to keep them from sticking together) and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the pastry circles from the refrigerator. In a mixing bowl, combine the meat, onion, carrot, potato, salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined. Place the pastry circles on a clean work surface and place about 1/2 cup of the filling in the center of 1 side of the pastry. Using the beaten egg, brush the edges of the pastry and then bring the unfilled side over the filled side so that edges meet. Press edges together to seal and then crimp using your fingers or a fork. Repeat with the remaining turnovers and then transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining egg and then cut several slits into the top of each pastry. Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown around the edges. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until the pasties are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.