Cornish Pasty A La Mrs. Beaton
Submitted by brianjwood on November 21, 2002 at 11:20 am

DESCRIPTION
Cornish Pasty a la Mrs Beaton

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Pies

INSTRUCTIONS
In Cornwall, pasties are straight, not curved at all. They are leaf shaped from above, and half leaf shaped from the side. here is a genuine Cornish recipe from around 1870. Makes 8. Filling, 1 large or two small potatoes; 1 med onion, s & p; 1 small turnip; 1 med carrot; 12 ozs lean chuck steak' Pastry: 1 lb all purpose flour (we call it plain), 1 tsps salt; 4 ozs lard; 4 tbsps shredded suet (refined beef fat), beaten egg for glazing. make the pastry first - sift flour and salt together, rub in the lard and mix in the suet; moistenwith enoughwater to make a stiff dough. Roll outonfloured board and cut into eight 5 - 51/2 inc rounds. Peel the pot, and turnip, and slice very thinly, together with the onion. Finely chop the peeled carrot. Mix all the veg together and season well, then divide into 8. Place a line of this mixture across the centre of each circle. Wash & dry the meat, chop finely (NOT mince, you need around 1/8th to 1/4 inch pieces - your preference) and place equal amounts on top of veggies. Dampen edges of pastry, and lift to meet over the filling. Pinch together and flute with your fingers. Make small slits in the pastry on both sides near the top (to let out the steam - important!). Mark one end of each pasty with the initial of the intended eater - do this with slits, or pinch the pastry up to form a raised letter. Place pasties on a baking sheet, glaze with beaten egg. Bake in v hot oven (230 degrees C) for 10 mins, then reduce to 180 and bake for about 45 mins more. Check after 35, your oven maybe hotter/cooler than indicated. Test by piercing with a thin, heated skewer to see if meat is done.
Please note, the lard & suet are essential if you want anything remotely resembling a true Cornish pasty. Eat with a mug of cider at hand!
Cheers, Brian