Cornish Pasties the Perfect Hiking Food
Traditionally food for Cornish miners and farm laborers this is quite possibly the perfect hiking or picnic meal that comes rapped in an edible packet.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1/2 lb plain flour
- Pinch salt
- 4 oz margarine or 50/50 margarine/lard
- 3 tbsp iced water (approximately)
- Egg or milk to glaze
Instructions
Pastry
- Start by making the shortcrust pastry. Sift the flour and salt before rubbing in the fat with your fingers. The mix should end up like coarse breadcrumbs.
- Gradually add the cold iced water until you have a stiff dough. The trick to good shortcrust pastry is all about kneading it lightly and keeping it cold.
- Once you have a smooth dough plastic wrap and chill in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Filling
- Trim the meat to remove fat, bone or gristle. Cut the meat in to small slivers.
- Peel vegetables and either coarsely grate or dice. The vegetables and meat have to cook inside the pastry at the same time so small is good.
- Mix the ingredients and flavor with salt and especially pepper before adding the water.
Creating the pastie.
- Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch thick. You should be able to cut out two 8 inch circles. I use a side plate.
- Divide the filling between the two pastry circles. IMPORTANT: place the filling on one half of the pastry and try to keep it away from the edge.
- Dampen the pastry edges with cold water and then fold over the pastry to seal the pie. Press down along the edges with fingers or a fork.
- Finish off the pasty by brushing milk or beaten egg on the surface. This will create a nice golden brown during baking.
- Put the pasties on a baking sheet and make a small slit in the pastry to let the steam out during cooking.
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F and cook for 15 minutes before turning the temperature down to 250°F for another 30 to 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the pastry and if it is getting to brown loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Notes
Not so traditional ( I’m from Somerset not Cornwall) I often add finely diced onion or carrot.
No you don’t add gravy.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!