PASTY PIE

About 40 years ago I got fed up making pasties, they took too long to make, when you are feeding a crowd. I still make proper pasties occasionally, but for weekly use I make Pasty Pies. So easy, they never fail if you follow a few simple rules and you use and eat less pastry. They taste exactly the same as a proper Pasty! I can fling one together in about 15 mins. Meal done, no dishes - perfect.

You need a deep - at least  2", round 8” or 9" tin, preferably with a small lip around the outer edge, well oiled. I do have a 10" for a larger Pie, feeding a good 6. So much easier than making 6 pasties!!!!

Making the Pastry. [Rough Puff]

I make it first thing in the morning or the night before and leave it in the fridge. Or batch make, to freeze, taking out the night before. But the pastry needs to rest in the fridge.

For one 8" Pasty Pie you need:

12 oz Plain Flour

large pinch of salt

3 oz lard - room temperature

3 oz hard baking margarine, like Stork [or butter, but in this instance marg is OK] - room temperature

Rub the fat into the flour and salt, not too finely. Add very cold water slowly until just enough to bring together. Gently knead with your hands until incorporated and put in a poly bag to rest.

Assemble all your ingredients:        

12 oz beef skirt, cut into little pieces. NEVER ever use minced beef.

Swede [Rutabaga in the US], chipped small from a whole piece

2 leeks, sliced finely                                 

Onion, roughly chopped

Potatoes, chipped like the swede

Fresh parsley, chopped

Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper.

A little extra flour for dredging.

Never cube or diced the veg.

I use leeks, because my mother often did and they make pasties very juicy.

I have not given you quantities as it will depend of the size of your tin - but see photos on my Blog.

Make your Pie:

Roll out just under two thirds of your pastry, keeping it round and even and making sure you have enough to hang over the lip for the crimping.  Slide your rolling pin underneath, lift and place it over the tin. Fit the pastry and trim if necessary, making sure you leave plenty for the crimp. I always make more pastry than is needed as it is easier, when rolling not to scrimp. Just cut the excess off.

Start the filling:

Swede first, then half of the potato. A little seasoning. Then the leeks and the remainder of the potato. More seasoning, then carefully cover with the skirt, then the onion and parsley. A little more seasoning. Your Pie needs to be really full.

Dredge with plain flour.

Roll out the rest of the pastry crust. Lift with your rolling pin as before. Level out the edges and trim so everything is even. Press together and start the crimping, as the photo. Press the crimped edge towards the centre and make a slit in the centre top. You can brush with milk or egg if you wish. Place in your very hot pre heated oven 220 deg C for the first 10 mins to set the pastry. Turn down to 190 deg C and bake for a further 1 hour 20 mins, more or less, according to size and thickness. Leave in the tin for 5 mins, then, on a cooling rack, take some kitchen paper, cover the Pie and put a corner into the slit on top [to stop the juices escaping]. Cover with another rack, hold both racks together and VERY quickly flip over, take off the tin and flip back  See photo.

Be careful - it is very hot! But hey presto it is out of the tin. Make sure the top rack is upside down.

DO NOT EAT for at least an hour. Allow the juices and flavours to develop and merge together. Just wonderful! You cannot appreciate the flavours if the Pasty Pie is too hot - this applies to ordinary pasties too, of course.

The Rough Puff basic pastry recipe is suitable for lots of things.

Bought Flakey Pastry is too flakey for the Pie!! Although you could use it, if pushed. You cannot use shortcrust pastry.

Of course, this is my version, I like parsley but some folk do not! Ditto leeks. I quite like pork pasties occasionally too.