Have you tried Cornish pasties? These traditional little morsels are like a crescent-shaped, meat and vegetable pie. They're easy to eat on the run and were originally made for miners in Cornwell by their wives. Fun fact! Only pastries made in Cornwell can bear the name Cornish Pastie.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Authentic Cornish Pastie Recipe
A Cornish pasty is a shortcrust pastry filled with beef and vegetables. The edges are sealed by crimping them with a particular folding technique.
In 2011, Cornish pasties were given a protected status. This came with very specific parameters such as ingredient and construction requirements!
Requirements:
- The edges of the pasties must be sealed by crimping them in traditional Cornish fashion.
- The pastry must be made in Cornwall.
- They can only contain skirt beef, potato, Swede (rutabaga), onion, salt and pepper. (Nothing else)
- The ingredients must be raw when the pastries are assembled.
- The pastries must be slowly baked to produce the traditional Cornish pasty flavor and texture.
No other meat, no other vegetables, no other seasonings allowed.
Cornish Pastry Recipe
The shortening for traditional Cornish Pastie Pastry includes half lard and half butter. In this recipe, I have used my never fail savoury shortcrust pastry, which is also included in the recipe card.
- All Purpose Flour
- Cold Salted Butter
- Lard
- Water
Australian Style Pastie Ingredients
So full disclosure, I am not someone who can follow a recipe. It doesn't matter how historic and important it is I always want to make it my own. I really tried to jump on board with the Cornish Pasties but even the bland-looking vegetables in my shopping basket bored me!
So, I have made this recipe my own without straying too far from the original.
My added ingredients:
- Carrot
- Peas
- Vegetable stock
It may not look like much but I wanted a bit of colour and some extra flavour.
Australian Thermomix Pastie Recipe
If you wish to make a traditional Cornish Pastie, you will find the recipe card below. If you would like to make this filling, substitute the extra ingredients. Then go to the recipe card for the method.
Ingredients:
- 400g skirt steak chopped finely
- 220g potato 1.5 cm diced
- 120g swede 1.5 cm diced
- 150g brown onion diced
- 70g carrot
- 50g peas
- 1 ½ TBS Massel stock
- 10g Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 70g butter melted
- egg (egg wash)
Instructions are in the recipe card
While I was researching the history of the Pastie I found that carrot was a definite "no-no". It would incur a fine if an establishment sold them with carrots. One site even suggested it may have been through back in the face of the baker! It seems a little extreme, but I'm a rule-breaker!
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Thermomix Cornish Pasties
Equipment
Ingredients
Cornish Pastry
- 550 g all purpose flour plain
- 270 g cold butter cut in cubes (Traditionally use ½ lard ½ butter)
- 160 g cold water
Cornish Pastie Filling
- 170 g brown onion cut in ¼
- 220 g potato preferably waxy potatoes cut in ¼
- 140 g swede
- 400 g skirt beef chopped in 1 cm cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 70 g butter melted
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
Pastry
- Add the flour and cubed butter to the bowl. Combine 15 sec/Speed 4550 g all purpose flour, 270 g cold butter
- Scrape down the bowl.
- Add water. Set to Dough 1 minute.160 g cold water
- Scrape down the bowl.
- Use the spatula to see if the pastry will push together. If not add another 10sec/dough mode
- Place a piece of plastic wrap on the bench.
- Tip the pastry on the plastic and use the plastic to fold over the pastry and bring it in to form a cohesive square of pastry in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meat & Vegetable Filling
- Add onion to the TM Bowl, Chop 4 sec/Speed 4170 g brown onion
- Remove onion and place into a large bowl.
- Add potato to the TM bowl. Chop 5 sec/Speed 4.220 g potato
- Remove and place into the bowl with the onion. If there are any large poieces cut them manually.
- Add swede to the TM bowl. Chop 5 sec/Speed 4.5.140 g swede
- Remove and place into the bowl with the onion. If there are any large pieces cut them manually.
- Cut the meat into 1cm pieces or smaller.400 g skirt beef
- Add salt, pepper, and butter over the meat and vegetables.1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, 70 g butter
- Stir until combined by hand.
Construct The Pasties
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll until 2-3mm thick.
- Line a baking tray with paper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees fan-forced
- Use a plate as a guide to cut 8 circles from the pastry.
- Place a generous quantity of filling down the middle of the pastry leaving space at each end.
- Lift each side of the pastry circle up and press the edges together into a half circle.
- Starting at one corner fold it in toward the pastie and continue to crimp the edge until you reach the end.
- Repeat with each pastry.
- Brush each pastie with egg wash.1 egg
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden. If they haven't browned at the end of the 60 minutes increase the heat to 170-180 for the final ten minutes.
- Allow five minutes to cool and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Happy Cooking
j xx
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Mike Hilton says
NO PEAS PLEASE! Traditional Cornish man here with some traditional hints. Pasties are just skirt steak, potato, swede, carrot and onion. Seasoned with lots of black pepper and salt. That’s it! No peas
Julie Carlyle says
Hi Mike
I feel very honoured that you have visited my site and left your comments. You are obviously absolutely correct. Peas have no business being in a Cornish Pastie! I did a lot of reseach and found everything very interesting. I gave the traditional recipe in the story. All recipes agreed that peas don't belong in a Cornish Pastie and most recipes said if carrot was added it would be thrown back at you!!
But I am just a simple Aussie girl who likes her carrot and peas in a pastie, so I'm sorry I mutilated your pastie and added those extra vegetables... and some stock powder. Oh and more apologises, half the butter in the pastry should have been lard if I am being 100% truthful.
Well I feel better that is off my shoulders.
Thank you for popping by it's always nice to talk to someone that is passionate about food.
Julie xx
Powl says
This recipe is definitely not for Cornish Pasties as a Cornish Pasty, by law, only contains beef, onion, swede and potato. carrot and peas should be nowhere near the mix.
Julie Carlyle says
Hi Powl
Yes you are correct, as I explained to Mike I did explain the correct ingredients in a Cornish Pastie and all the thing that would preclude mine from being called a Cornish pasties, including the fact they weren't made in Cornwell. I was using the recipe in a Facebook live cooking class. People had the option of making the traditional Cornish style with just Swede, potato, skirt steak, Onion, salt and pepper. Or an Aussie style pastie with the objectionable recipe.
Perhaps It would be better if I share the Cornish Pastie in the recipe card and the Aussie pastie in the story.
Sorry to have upset you but I am pleased you visited and left such a passionate and absolutely correct comment.
Julie