Cornish pasties
Originally the portable lunch of the Cornish working man, these pasties are great eaten hot, warm or cold and are ideal for a picnic or lunch box.
Pastry:
60g/2oz butter, softened
60g/2oz lard, softened
2cups/250g plain flour, sifted
4 tablespoons cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten
Filling:
250g/8oz lean ground beef
1 small onion, grated
1 potato, peeled and grated
1/2 small turnip, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper
1. To make pastry, place butter and lard in a bowl and mix well to combine. Refrigerate until firm. Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Chop butter mixture into small pieces and rub in flour using fingertips until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Mix in enough water to form a soft dough. Turn pastry onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. To make filling, place meat, onion, potato, turnip, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper to taste in a bowl and mix well to combine.
3. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and using an upturned saucer as a guide cut out six 15cm rounds. Divide filling between pastry rounds. Brush edges with water and fold the pastry rounds in half upwards to enclose filling.
4. Press edges together well to seal, then flute between finger and thumb. Place pasties on a well greased oven tray. Brush with egg and bake for 15 minutes (Oven temperature 220°C, 440°C, Gas 7). Reduce temperature to 160°C/330°F/Gas 3 and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
Makes 6