Proper Cornish Pasties are the ultimate moveable feast, perfect for packing up in a Bank Holiday picnic basket, stacking up on a buffet table or munching in a cosy kitchen should the weather refuse to comply.
Ingredients (makes 4 large pasties)
500g ready made, all butter shortcrust pastry
300g beef skirt, chopped against the grain into 1cm dice
400g waxy potatoes (eg. Maris Piper), peeled and chopped into 1cm dice
175g swede, peeled and chopped into 1cm dice
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
50g cold butter, cubed
To glaze: 1 egg, beaten with a little water
Method
Slide a large, greaseproof baking tray into the oven and preheat to 200c/gas mark 6.
Mix the beef and vegetables together in a large mixing bowl and season well with plenty of salt and white pepper.
Roll out the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to around the thickness of a £1 coin and, using an upturned plate as a template, cut out 4 equally sized circles.
Divide the filling between the pastry discs leaving a 2cm border around the edges. and top each one with the cubed butter and a sprinkling of cold water.
Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and fold over the filling to create a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges together to seal, crimp as desired, cut a small hole in the top of each pasty to allow steam to escape during baking and glaze with the remaining beaten egg.
Carefully transfer the pasties to the hot baking tray and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, then turn the heat down to 160c/gas mark 3 and bake for another 30-40 minutes. If the pasties appear to be browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
If eating straight away, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving as the filling will be extremely hot straight from the oven.