The Cornish Pasty, the national dish that divides the nation. A Cornish Pasty is more than just a fancy pie, the secret ingredients, the perfect pastry and truly a work of art. The Corish Pasty has been around since the 14th century, its original purpose was to fill the hungry bellies of workers with a heavy carb load. They were made with potato, sweet potato and onion it wasn’t until the 19th Century that they started using meat for the filling. The shape of a Cornish Pasty is quite unique. It is said that the miners adjusted the pasty to a D shape, this was so they could be easily carried and so that their grubby hands did not have to touch the part of the Pasty they were eating. The twisted pastry around the outside acted as a handle and would be discarded.

The recipe of the Corish Pasty are usually passed down through generations, the people of Cornwell take pride in their pastries so much that some families will never release their recipes, not even to their own kids. They would rather take it to the grave. Below is a generic recipe of the Cornish Pasty for you to try at home however to call it a Cornish Patsy has to be made in Cornwell, England.

Servings: 4 servings

Prep: 3 hrs

Cook: 40-45 Mins

Total: 3 hrs 45 mins

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

• 3 1/2 cups (450 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 ounces (140 grams) unsalted butter, very cold, diced
• 5 ounces (140 grams) lard, very cold
• 2/3 cup (155 ml) ice-cold water

Filling

• 450g Good quality Beef cut into cubes
• 450g Potato diced
• 250g Swede, diced
• 200g Onion, Sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Beaten Egg and or milk to brush

1. Heat oven to 165 degrees
2. Rub lard and flour together until it turns into a crumbly texture.
3. Add water, blend the mixture together and knead until the pastry becomes elastic.
4. Cover with glad wrap and leave to rest for 3 hours in the fridge
5. Roll out the pastry and cut into 20cm circles, or use a side plate as a guide
6. Layer the vegetables on top of the meat in the middle of the pastry
7. Pull up both sides of the Pastry around the filling

• Lightly brush the edge of the pastry with water
• Fold up both sides of the pastry and squeeze the two sides of the circle together
• Press down hard with your thumb around the edge
• Start at the end and twist the pastry to form a crimp
• Do this all the way around the edge to form the handle
• Once the edge is fully crimped then tuck both end corners underneath
• Use the beaten egg/milk and brush it lightly all over the pasty, pop it in the oven for 40-45 Mins or until golden brown.

” If a pasty is crimped by a left-hander it is called a cock pasty, if it is crimped by a right-hander it is a hens pasty”

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