PASTIES

Let’s start the New Year with a pasty! For all my new likers of 2014, especially those who live away from these shores! It’s all on my Blog, along with loads of pics. I stopped and cleaned my hands as often as possible to take photos at every stage to help those of you who have never made one! The three pasties I made [2 large 1 small] used a basic rough puff pastry mix. 12 oz plain flour, 3 oz lard and 3 oz hard marg, half rubbed in ie not too finely, salt and a little very cold water. Then rest for at least an hour in the fridge before using.

You will realise the pasties are pretty large but my husband would think I had lost my marbles if I gave him a small one!

Swede - chipped finely 

Potato  - ditto

Leek - quartered longwise and sliced

Onion, finely chopped.

Skirt beef, finely chopped. 

[Pork too, occasionally. I used one large pork loin steak and left the small amount of fat in]

Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

Plain flour to dredge.

Generally parsley too, but I forgot to buy it!! It’s fine without!

Colloquially, when parsley is used its a grass pasty!

As a child my mother made pork pasties too and they were delicious, so I have made one of those as well!! I have been asking around about variations and many folk fondly remember  mashed potato pasties!!! Seventy or eighty [or more] years ago lots of folk could not afford skirt regularly and if you had to feed a growing family…. So I thought I would try them as well. I mashed 2 potatoes with a little butter, then stirred in a very finely chopped and fried shallot [in flavourful rapeseed oil], S&P and a little grated nutmeg. This is my version but I cannot believe that our forebears would not have used onion and the commonly used spice, to add flavour.

Before you start, take the pastry out of the fridge for about 20 mins before rolling.

Assemble all your prepared ingredients around you and turn the oven to very very hot.

This sets the pastry, then there is less chance of it coming apart - or smiling! Grease a baking tray. Then start.

Roll your pastry out to the approx size you want, rolling evenly and making sure the edges are even and not thin. Brush the whole of the outside inch with a little beaten egg or milk. As in the photos place a rolling pin halfway under the crust to give you the sharp D edge. Assemble in order, swede on the bottom, potato, leek, meat, onion, parsley, flour.

I season well at least twice, once about halfway through and again on top of the onion.

Twist the whole pasty so the D is in front of you and close over so the edges are meeting. Press together then take the pin away. Crimp. Lift onto the prepared baking tray, put a little hole in the top for the steam and brush with beaten egg or milk. The egg is shinier.

Bake for about ¾ hour to 1 hour, according to size. After the first ten mins turn the oven back to about 190 Deg C.

I hope the photos explain every stage. Good luck, if you have never tried them before.

I loved the mashed potato pasty - great for cocktail pasties and a canape. Thanks to Joyce for her reminisences. Make sure the mash is cold before you add it to the pastry and bake for a shorter time.

Happy New Year!