VEGGIE PASTY

Somehow these words don’t mix together in my mind! A pasty is full of beef skirt with lots of meat juices soaking down through the potato and turnip. But these days we all know someone who is a vegetarian and I have had to start one of my folders [I am a saddo] collecting good veggie dishes and recipes. Therefore I will occasionally post one or two.

So I thought it was about time I tried to make a decent veggie pasty, and over the last few weeks I started playing around with ingredients to make it taste half decent! [not completely decent of course]. Apologies to all veggies. It is all about building flavours that compliment each other, adding enough cheese and herbs to really make it as tasty as possible. Seasoning is important and I have used lovely Marigold Swiss Bouillon Powder as well as plenty of Sea Salt flakes and fresh ground pepper.

The pastry - this will make two small or one large, with some left over after trimming:

8 oz plain flour

1 oz butter

3 oz vegetable shortening - I used Cookeen

Sea Salt and lots of fresh ground Pepper

a teaspoon of finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

A little very cold water

Roughly rub the fats in the flour and seasoning, add the thyme then enough cold water to bind. Lightly kneed until just smooth and then chill for 20 mins or so.

For each large ish pasty: Pre heat your fan oven to 210C

1 small potato

1 small carrot

¼ small turnip [swede]

1 oz  sliced portobello mushrooms or similar

1 medium shallot

½ a leek

fresh chopped parsley 

level teaspoon dried mixed herbs

2 oz grated strong mature cheddar

dash Worcestershire sauce

Generous teaspoon of Bouillon Powder

Sea Salt and Pepper 

a small egg beaten, to dampen the edges and brush the top

Chip the potato thinly, ditto the turnip. Finely dice the carrot and chop the leek, shallot and parsley. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Grate the cheese. Place all of these and the mixed herbs, except the mushrooms in a poly bag or medium bowl and mix together, season well.

 Roll out your pastry into about a 10” round for a large pasty. Dampen the edges with some beaten egg. Place a rolling pin under the centre forming a D. Lay out the sliced mushrooms for the bottom layer then tip the contents of your bowl on the mushroom base, sprinkle over the bouillon and add a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Continue as you would for an ordinary pasty. Bring one half over the other to meet and crimp together. Brush with egg and place a small slit in the middle to let the steam out.

Pop your pasty into the hot oven for ten mins to nicely brown and seal the pastry then turn the oven down to 190C. After 45 mins I turn it down again to 180. Bake for about 1 hour in total. As I type this, the smell is wafting through from the kitchen and it is smelling heavenly!!! I note the juices are bubbling through the slit in the top! A good sign.

Cool on a rack for at least 20-30 mins before tucking in, allowing the flavours to merge and settle.

Confession time now - I loved it! It is very very tasty and I am very pleased with the wonderful combination of flavours. Even my husband, a great meat eater, thought it tasted ‘“alright”, then had seconds. I will be very pleased to serve this to any veggie and tuck in myself. No reason either, that you cannot make a pasty pie with the same ingredients. Can’t wait!

Not bad, I suppose, if you must leave out the most important ingredient!! I am so pleased I have persevered to make this.

Note: I was impressed with the pastry and will use Cookeen again.