After a couple of requests (Todash, skimom2), here's a couple of pastie recipes.
~500g/1lb beef mince or beef skirt
1 medium/large swede (rutabaga)
1 large, 2 medium or 3 small (white) onions.
600-800g (1.3-1.75lb) plain flour, with lard/margarine/combination using half-fat-to-flour method (so 300-400g). I only use margarine, and tend to go lower than half but more than 1/3rd. (It's only basic pastry, so...whatever ). Rub together until you get 'breadcrumbs', then add water a little at a time and mix until it binds (you don't want it to get too wet or sticky, but it should hold together in a ball). Shove it in the fridge for 30 mins to rest before rolling.
Dice the swede and onion into small cubes, then mix with the mince or cubed beef skirt until well blended. Sprinkle with a stock cube (i.e. Oxo), add a little salt and pepper, then mix again.
For the cases, roll out the pastry until it's around 5mm (13/64ths of an inch) thick, then cut to preferred size (I use a 5-7 inch diameter tea plate; you want these things to be fairly big). There should be enough pastry for between 10 and 14 pasties. That's the amount I usually get, but it can vary.
Divide the mixture evenly between the cases, being careful to get a nice, even filling throughout the case without overfilling.
Add half a teaspoon of cold water to the pastie before folding and pinching the edge firmly closed. Crimp edge with a fork or other tool to ensure a tight seal and make a small hole in the top to allow excess steam to escape, rather than blow the case open.
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (around gas mark 7) and cook for 25 minutes, then reduce to 150-160C (gas mark 3 should do) for a further 20 minutes.
These are more or less traditional Cornish pasties (truly traditional ones are/were savoury at one end and sweet at the other), but a variant is:
250g/ 1/2lb beef or lamb mince
3 medium sized potatoes
1 medium swede
3 carrots (2 if very large)
2 parnips (1 if large)
a good handful of garden peas
1 medium/large onion
Chop veg and place in a large pot with the meat. You're basically making a stew at this point (note the absence of lentils and/or pearl barley, which I'd usually put in a stew, and the use of mince).
Cook as you would a stew, adding 4 stock cubes (Oxo) or the equivalent of your choice after around 45-60 minutes. (We get 'stock pots' here - basically lumps of gelid, concentrated stock. Two of those work a treat.)
Cook for another 45-60 minutes at a low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Make and roll out the pastry as above, but cut to smaller size (using this method, I can usually make 14-20 pasties).
After 90-120 mins cooking time, sieve the stew (but keep the gravy!) and mash. Once mashed, add a little salt and pepper if desired, then stir.
Divide mixture evenly between cases, again taking care to fill well without over-filling. Fold and crimp edge to form a tight seal, etc.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (gas mark 5-6) and cook for 20-25 minutes.
These are what my nan used to call Cornish pasties, though any self-respecting Cornish person would pitch a fit at such an insult.
Serve on their own with gravy or alongside whatever you like.
~500g/1lb beef mince or beef skirt
1 medium/large swede (rutabaga)
1 large, 2 medium or 3 small (white) onions.
600-800g (1.3-1.75lb) plain flour, with lard/margarine/combination using half-fat-to-flour method (so 300-400g). I only use margarine, and tend to go lower than half but more than 1/3rd. (It's only basic pastry, so...whatever ). Rub together until you get 'breadcrumbs', then add water a little at a time and mix until it binds (you don't want it to get too wet or sticky, but it should hold together in a ball). Shove it in the fridge for 30 mins to rest before rolling.
Dice the swede and onion into small cubes, then mix with the mince or cubed beef skirt until well blended. Sprinkle with a stock cube (i.e. Oxo), add a little salt and pepper, then mix again.
For the cases, roll out the pastry until it's around 5mm (13/64ths of an inch) thick, then cut to preferred size (I use a 5-7 inch diameter tea plate; you want these things to be fairly big). There should be enough pastry for between 10 and 14 pasties. That's the amount I usually get, but it can vary.
Divide the mixture evenly between the cases, being careful to get a nice, even filling throughout the case without overfilling.
Add half a teaspoon of cold water to the pastie before folding and pinching the edge firmly closed. Crimp edge with a fork or other tool to ensure a tight seal and make a small hole in the top to allow excess steam to escape, rather than blow the case open.
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (around gas mark 7) and cook for 25 minutes, then reduce to 150-160C (gas mark 3 should do) for a further 20 minutes.
These are more or less traditional Cornish pasties (truly traditional ones are/were savoury at one end and sweet at the other), but a variant is:
250g/ 1/2lb beef or lamb mince
3 medium sized potatoes
1 medium swede
3 carrots (2 if very large)
2 parnips (1 if large)
a good handful of garden peas
1 medium/large onion
Chop veg and place in a large pot with the meat. You're basically making a stew at this point (note the absence of lentils and/or pearl barley, which I'd usually put in a stew, and the use of mince).
Cook as you would a stew, adding 4 stock cubes (Oxo) or the equivalent of your choice after around 45-60 minutes. (We get 'stock pots' here - basically lumps of gelid, concentrated stock. Two of those work a treat.)
Cook for another 45-60 minutes at a low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Make and roll out the pastry as above, but cut to smaller size (using this method, I can usually make 14-20 pasties).
After 90-120 mins cooking time, sieve the stew (but keep the gravy!) and mash. Once mashed, add a little salt and pepper if desired, then stir.
Divide mixture evenly between cases, again taking care to fill well without over-filling. Fold and crimp edge to form a tight seal, etc.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (gas mark 5-6) and cook for 20-25 minutes.
These are what my nan used to call Cornish pasties, though any self-respecting Cornish person would pitch a fit at such an insult.
Serve on their own with gravy or alongside whatever you like.