Cornish Pasties

While visiting a friend for lunch the other day, we got to talking about what we were going to cook for dinner in our respective homes that night.  She shared the simplicity of making Cornish Pasties (her being from the region and all!) with me and I decided to make them for dinner a few nights later. Oh my word, how simple and delicious!  I am a convert. To the extent that I bought more ingredients during my grocery shop today in anticipation of a 2nd round!

I thought these were huge, but when I mentioned it to said friend yesterday, she said this is pretty normal. I did modify the recipe ever so slightly - I used flaky pastry instead of savoury short (and would do so again) and I used carrots instead of swede, but only because that's what I had in the house.  I'll list the recipe below as I intend to do it for my next batch.  I've served it above with some lightly steamed broccoli & a small bowl of my Dad's absolutely delicious tomato relish.

Recipe - Cornish Pasties (serves 2, with spare filling left over)

• 1 Potato
• Skirt steak (in whatever quantity you'd buy for 2 people. I think I got about 400g, but I had leftovers that didn't fit!)
• 1 swede
• 1 onion
• salt & pepper
• knob of butter
• 2 sheets of flaky pastry (pre-rolled and frozen in my case - I don't mind making pastry, but I can't be bothered rolling it)
• a little milk or egg wash (I used milk)

Directions

1. Cube the potato, swede, onion and skirt steak into pieces about 1.5 - 2cm in size, or thereabouts. [Update: on subsequent runs through this I have concluded that I get a better result when I finely dice the onion, and cube everything else at about .5 to 1.0cm cubes rather than larger - especially when using skirt steak which can be a little chewy in bigger chunks]
2. Mix in a bowl and season with salt & pepper. (nope, the meat does NOT get cooked before putting it in your pastie)
3. Cut your pastry into a circle using a dinner plate or a bowl as a guide (get as big a circle as you can from the square)
4. Pile the filling in the middle (I know there is often fierce debate over whether Cornish pasties should be sealed at the top or side - I went with what seemed easier which was the top)
5. Add a knob of butter to the middle of the pile.
6. Brush a little milk or egg-wash around the edge of the pastry (this helps with sealing it.
7. Bring two sides up and seal into the traditional shape (usually tidier than I did above!!!)
8. Optionally brush with milk or egg-wash
9. Bake in a hot oven for 1 hour. (I went with 200°C)

Serve & enjoy!!!