Nearly every region of the world has its own form of pastry-wrapped meat and vegetables. We have empanadas, calzones, samosas - even old school Aussie sausage rolls! The pasty is England’s contribution. Chopped meat and hearty root vegetables are contained in a semi-circle of crisp pastry. While the traditional recipe uses a homemade pastry made of flour, salt and two types of fat – butter and lard, this pasties recipe uses store-bought puff pastry, making it simpler to prepare and adding layers of buttery goodness.
How to make pasties: key tips
A food processor makes chopping the vegetables easy peasy, and turns them into the consistency of ‘baby food’. This is what you want, as it will work like a ‘glue’ to hold the mince, peas and corn etc all together, as there is no egg to bind everything. It also means that you don’t have to pre-cook the vegies in a frying pan first to soften them before baking.
And if you were to ask a parent, they’d agree that blitzing the vegetables is a terrific way to hide a load of them from the kids.
A clever way of cutting the rounds is to use the rim of a thin-edged bowl. You can either invert the bowl and press down to cut, or invert the bowl and use a sharp knife to trace around the edge and cut through the pastry.
Make sure you leave an edge around the pastry after filling it so that you can brush it with egg, which will help to seal the edges. Once the circle is folded in half, you will need to press the edges together and then pinch the edge to make a frill (see notes, below). If you’re not comfortable with making the frilly edge, don’t worry, just fold it over and then use a fork to press down on the edge to seal. It won’t be a ‘real’ pasty, but we won’t judge!
Alternatively, you can make pasty rolls by halving the pastry sheets, then place a line of mixture down the middle of each pastry half. Brush one side with the beaten egg, then roll up to seal and cut to your desired lengths.
Key ingredients in this pasties recipe
Opt for lean beef mince to keep these pasties on the healthy side. The vegetables used in the recipe are typical of Cornish pasties, but feel free to use whichever vegies you and the family like.
Frozen puff pastry is an easy way to achieve flaky pastry on these pasties. Don’t let it completely thaw before using it, as it will get sticky pretty quickly, making it difficult to work with.
The cook has used sesame seeds, but you can use poppy seeds instead, if you prefer, or there are any allergies to sesame.
From savoury to sweet, here are some of our best pastry recipes to discover. These lamb and vegetable pasties look pretty fine, too!
This recipe was originally submitted by margie_62, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Australia’s Best Recipes and Natasha Shaw.
Ingredients
- 3 potatoes medium
- 1 carrot large
- 1 turnip large
- 1 onion small
- 350 g Woolworths Lean Beef Mince
- 1/2 cup frozen peas and corn
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbs parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs McCormick Season All Peppered Seasoning
- 6 sheets puff pastry frozen
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 3 tsp sesame seeds *to decorate
Method
-
Step 1Preheat oven to 200C.
-
Step 2Peel vegetables and process in food processor.
-
Step 3In a bowl combine, mince, vegetables, peas, corn, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and seasonings. Mix thoroughly.
-
Step 4Cut pastry into 15 cm rounds.
-
Step 5Place some mixture in the centre of each round and brush the edge of the pastry with a little beaten egg.
-
Step 6Lift the two sides of the circle together on top of the vegetables and pinch together to make a frill.
-
Step 7Place on baking sheet and brush top with beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds.
-
Step 8Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown
Recipe Notes
What is the history of the pasty?
While the origins are slightly obscure, pasties were around in medieval times and were the food of the elite; stuffed with exotic foods such as herring, eel, salmon or venison. Pasties as we now know them came to prominence in Cornwall in the 1700s, where they became the food of the working class, especially miners as they provided a perfectly portable meal that stayed warm when taken down the mine.
What makes these pasties so good?
Pasties are traditionally made of chopped skirt steak mixed with chunks of potato, swede and onion, relying on the steam created in the pastry pocket to cook the beef and vegetables. In this version, the root vegetables are finely chopped using a food processor. This not only reduces cooking time, but also helps keep the filling moist and tender. This recipe also has bonus vegetables with the peas and corn - and a sneaky dash of Worcestershire sauce never hurts!
Is it pasty or pasties?
A pasty is a singular and pasties plural!
What is the difference between a Cornish pasty and a pasty?
There are strict rules surrounding what can be referred to as a Cornish pasty. You must use beef and no vegetables apart from the potato, swede and onion. All the ingredients must be uncooked when the pasty is assembled and then slowly baked to develop the flavour and tenderness. There must be at least 12.5% beef and 25% vegetables. With a general pasty like this recipe you’re free to play around with fillings and pastry. Phew!
How do you crimp the edges of pasties?
The identifying thick crimped crust of a Cornish pasty wasn’t just for looks. It actually had a practical purpose. Working in a tin mine, the miners’ hands were often exposed to arsenic. To avoid swallowing it, they would hold onto the crimped part of the pasty while eating the filled part and then discard the crust. The crimp is traditionally on the side of the pasty not the top. Sections of the pastry are crimped by using your index finger and thumb to fold over. Traditionally there should be around 20 crimps in a pasty.
Recipe Reviews (42)
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Log in Register