Recipe: Cornish Pasties

Photo courtesy Asha Arvind

For the weekend we have an interesting recipe for you. Cornish Pasties are very versatile and can be served for a lunch, snack and are just perfect for any lunchbox. You can fill the pasties anyway you want and according to any taste. Your kids will certainly get a kick out of guessing what mummy filled the pasties with this time ;-).

Have you filled your pasties with anything out of the norm? Tell us about it.

We thank Asha from Foodies Hope for this recipe contribution.

What are Cornish Pasties?
They are originally from Cornwall, England. They say that no Cornwall Holiday is complete without sampling a delicious proper Cornish pasties, whether they are served piping hot, crisp and golden brown just out of the oven, or eaten cold. With the decline of the mining industry in Cornwall , many Cornishmen were forced to emigrate as far as USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and they have taken the pasty recipe with them !

Cornish Pasties ( Makes about 6 Pasties)
Adapted from Linda's of Out of the Garden Pasties

For the crust:

2 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening (crisco )
1/8 cup milk, or just enough to form the dough

For the filling:

1/2 - 1 lb lean, tender sirloin,
1 medium Rutabaga
1 medium onion
2-3 large carrots
1-2 large red potatoes

Seasonings:
Any spices or/and herbs you like
salt and pepper
butter

Eggwash for baking:
1 whole egg mixed with 2-3 Tbsp water

How to:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. Mix flour and salt. Now add in the shortening and mix with your fingertips until it looks crumbly. Add milk, little by little just enough to get a firm dough. Divide the into 6 pieces equally and cover the dough to prevent drying and keep it aside.
2. Cut the sirloin 1/4" pieces, and cut peeled vegetables into uniform 1/4" square pieces as well .You can cook vegetables for 5 mins in the microwave with little water until little tender so you don't have to worry about whether they are cooked in the oven, specially Rutabagas. Making sure you don't have any liquid in the meat or veggies, mix all the ingredients with any spices , herbs you like , salt and pepper to taste. Divide into 6 portions.
3. Roll out a dough ball to 1/8" to 1/4" thick circle about 8" in diameter. Must be thick enough to hold the filling without tearing the crust. Place these on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or just spray with some no-stick spray. .Put one portion of filling, a pat of butter, fold one half over and seal both edges with water and press with fork to seal. Brush with egg wash all over the pasties. Prick the top with fork to make tiny holes. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
4. Bake for 50 mins to 1 hour or until the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve hot or cold with any sauce you like.

Note: Traditionally, meat and vegs are just mixed together raw and seasoned with salt and pepper before baking. I cooked the vegs just until tender to prevent uncooked surprises inside after baking! It's would be your choice , whether to add them raw or cook for 5 mins before you bake. Same goes for adding spices and herbs in the filling too.


This recipe was written by Asha from Foodies Hope.

If you are also interested in contributing to The Daily Tiffin drop us an email: blogmeeta@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing your ideas.