Cornish pasty
Crimped shortcrust pasty with raw beef skirt, potato, swede and onion
The Cornish pasty fed tin miners and fishermen in Cornwall for centuries, its thick crimped edge a handle for dirty hands, and today bakeries from Penzance to St Ives sell them warm all day. The filling goes into the pastry raw: thinly sliced beef skirt, potato, swede and onion, seasoned only with salt and plenty of pepper, so everything steams in its own juices inside the crust. Chef's tip: slice the vegetables thinly and evenly, not in cubes; thin pieces cook through in the same time as the beef.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the filling
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 4 ½ oz cold butter and 4 ½ oz cold vegetable shortening or lard into 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour and 1 tsp salt until like breadcrumbs, then mix in ¾ cup ice-cold water to a firm dough. Knead briefly until smooth, wrap and chill for 1 hour. The bread flour makes the pastry strong enough to hold the raw filling.
15 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line a large tray with baking paper. Divide the pastry into 4 and roll each piece into a 22 cm circle, about 4 mm thick.
10 minStep 3: On one half of each circle layer 10 ½ oz waxy potatoes, 7 oz swede, 1 onion and 14 oz beef skirt, seasoning every layer generously with 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ tsp black pepper, then finish with more potato and a dot of ⅔ oz butter. Keep raw beef chilled until you use it.
15 minStep 4: Brush the edge with water, fold the pastry over and press the edges together. Crimp by folding small pieces of the edge over each other along the side. A common mistake is overfilling; you need a clean 2 cm border to seal, or the juices leak out and the pasty bursts.
10 minStep 5: Brush with 1 egg, cut a small slit in the top and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven to 325°F (300°F fan) and bake for 35 minutes more until deep golden. The filling must be piping hot, over 160°F, and the potato tender when tested through the slit with a skewer.
55 minStep 6: Rest for 10 minutes before eating. Cool leftovers quickly and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 980 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 92 g
- Fat
- 52 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cornish pasty take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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