The Cornish Pasty, a Savory Pie

When I set out to start this blog a few weeks back, I decided to stick to gluten-free baking recipes, if only to make my own tiny niche in the great big electronic world. Though desserts are my main thing, I can't overlook the savory pastry.

I love savory pastries and dumplings: empanadas, pirogis, pasties, you name it. They are so easy! You make a basic dough, and then fill it with whatever the heck you want. Meat, potatoes, vegetables, spices; the world (or the filling) is your oyster. Drooooool. Who wouldn't want pie for dinner?

My favorite savory pie is the Cornish pasty. (Get your mind out of the gutter- NOT that kind of pasty, the PIE kind!) Pasties, originated in Cornwall's mining villages as a quick and portable meal for miners. Pies were baked fresh each morning, and they would stay warm until lunch. If by chance, the pie did get too cold, its Hot-Pocket-like shape (hmmmn, possibly where they got the idea for Hot Pockets??) allowed pasties to be reheated over a fire and eaten without cutlery.

As a child, my family's Cornish pasty recipe was one of my favorites. For quite a few years in a row, I requested it as my birthday meal, one of the rare times I'd get to pick what was for dinner. My mom would make the pasties with steak, but over the years, I've grown to prefer them with ground beef. The filling of this recipe is very easy to modify. If you are a vegetarian, omit the meat, and add other veggies. If you don't eat red meat, substitute ground turkey or chicken. This recipe is time-consuming in that both the crust and the filling need to sit a while for optimum flavor and workability-however, your time will be well-rewarded!

Since I just made a pie crust a few weeks ago that held together really well, I figured I'd modify that recipe to make the pasty crust. This crust has an additional binding agent in the form of two eggs. The eggs strengthen the dough, creating a sturdiness that a traditional pie crust lacks. Cider vinegar lends a slight bite and saltiness to the flavor.

I made my crust in a food processor, though you could make it by hand with a pastry cutter as well. I first pulsed all the dry ingredients together a few times to mix. Next, I added the butter, and pulsed until the mixture resembled course crumbs. In a separate bowl, I mixed the eggs, vinegar, and water and then slowly added the wet mixture to the dough. I used about ten tablespoons of water, but this may vary slightly depending on your flour blend and the humidity. After the dough came off the sides of the food processor, I turned it out onto parchment and kneaded it for a couple of minutes.

Next, I wrapped it in plastic wrap, placed it in the fridge, and let it chill for the rest of the morning. Though you can chill the dough for as little as thirty minutes, cold dough is much easier to work with.

While the dough was chilling, I got working on the filling. I thoroughly cooked the beef, sliced the onions, and diced the potatoes. I mixed the cooked meat, and the raw potatoes and onions in a bowl, seasoned them liberally with salt, pepper, and parsley, and let it sit for about 30 minutes to soak up the seasoning.

Next, it was time to roll out the crust. First, I divided the dough into 10 even pieces, then I rolled it out into a circle between parchment (on the bottom) and a piece of plastic wrap on the top. (I prefer not to use extra flour to roll out my pie crusts- the flour dries out the dough and makes it harder to work with.) I rolled each piece to about 1/8-inch thickness.

I then placed filling on one half of each circle, making sure to leave a border for crimping, and dotted the top of the filling with a small amount of butter.

Next, I folded the dough over the filling, crimped the sides to hold everything in, and slit the top three times for venting.

Once assembled, the pasties were placed on a baking sheet covered in parchment. I brushed each with egg wash to give the crust a nice sheen and help hold them together.  Into the oven they went.  By the time they were ready a half an hour later, my kitchen was filled with an intoxicating, savory aroma.

Once done, these beauties were golden brown on the outside, but still tender and flaky on the inside. The potatoes and carrots were soft, but not soggy.

The pasties also lived up to their reputation.  I made these in the middle of the afternoon, wrapped them up in a tea towel, and they were still warm for dinner.  Bon appetit! 

Recipe:

Crust Ingredients:

3.5 cups finely ground flour blend (I used Pamela's Artisan Flour)

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 eggs

10 tablespoons ice water

Filling Ingredients

4 medium red potatoes, cubed (I keep peels on)

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

1 lb. lean ground beef, turkey, chicken, or substitute vegetable

1/4 cup broth

2 tsp salt

fresh pepper to taste

1 tsp parsley

1 tablespoon butter to dot on filling

1 egg beaten as egg wash

Instructions: Prepare the crust first. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor or bowl and mix to combine. Next, add chilled butter and mix until course crumbs are formed. In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, water, and eggs. Slowly add to dry mixture and combine until crust comes away from the bowl. Turn out onto parchment and knead for 2-3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, preferably overnight.  

Meanwhile, make filling. Brown meat over medium-high heat. When the meat is almost done, add broth, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. In a bowl, combine all the filling ingredients except butter, and allow to sit for at least half an hour.  

Next, divide chilled dough into 10 balls. Roll each into a circle, about 1/8-inch thickness. On one half, add a spoonful of filling, being careful to leave at least a 1.5 inch border. Dot the top of the filling with butter. Fold the crust over the filling, pinch edges to seal, and crimp. Slit top of crust three times to vent, and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment.  

Once all the pies are on the baking sheet, brush each with beaten egg. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350 and bake 15-20 minutes more, until crust is a deep golden brown.    

Sea-level modifications: you will probably need only 8 tablespoons of water or so in the crust recipe. Additionally, your second bake time at 350 will probably be closer to 30 minutes- check for done-ness after 20 minutes.