Have you ever dreamed of making the perfect Cornish pasty, only to be held back by fear of bad crimping, crusty pastry and soggy fillings? This was me until a few days ago, when I finally faced my fears and cracked out my crimping thumbs. The rules of pasty making are so strict and precise that technically these cannot be called a Cornish pasty - a traditional pasty would contain onion, swede, potato and beef skirt - but in my view, as long as you make them in the spirit of Cornwall, there should be no limit on your pasty innard dreams. Whether you’re heading off down the mines for a long day’s work or frolicking about the Meadows to a sea shanty, there’s nothing better than a good pasty for company.

This recipe makes 6 medium pasties.

Pastry

• 500g flour - I used spelt for a sturdier wholemeal pastry
• 125g margarine
• 125g butter (or replace with more margarine)
• Salt
• Cold water
• Egg or milk/plant based milk to glaze

Filling

Whatever you have in the fridge! I used: Red onion, garlic, broccoli, sweet potato, mushroom, peas and courgette, but the list of potential fillings is endless, and you could even do a sweet pasty.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 240 degrees
2. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl
3. Crumble in the margarine and butter if using until mixture looks like breadcrumbs
4. Add a couple of tablespoons of cold water and stir quickly with a knife until it comes together into a dough - try to knead it as little as possible. Add more water if necessary, a bit at a time.
5. Shape dough into a ball, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours
6. Divide dough into 6 balls and roll into pastry circles about 1 cm thick.
7. This step is optional as the innards should be able to cook completely inside the pastry but if like me you are concerned about a crunchy pasty you can half-cook the filling on the hob. Saute onions, garlic, seasoning/spices (I used salt, pepper, turmeric, chilli flakes, cumin and coriander but this is just a suggestion), then add whatever vegetables/anything else you like.
8. Put a couple of tablespoons of filling onto the middle of the pastry circle
9. Glaze the edges of the circle with beaten egg or milk/plant based alternatives to help it stick.
10. Fold the circle in half and crimp right round the edge. If you are right handed, use your left thumb to hold down the pastry while your right hand folds it over your left thumb (switch hands if you’re left handed), then tuck the last bit (the “knob end”) underneath the pasty
11. Glaze the pasty with egg/milk and poke it once with a fork for a steam hole.
12. Bake in the oven at 240 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 180 for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.

Pasty time!

RECEYT PASTI (Kernewek)

Gwruthyl 6 pastiow. Nyns yw hengovek, mes sawrek yw! Mar ty a wra kewsel kernewek, drog yw genev dhe kammgemeryansow. My a wrug dalleth dyski kernewek pur a-gynsow ha gramer kales yw!

Devnydhyow

Hogen

• 500 gramm bleus
• 125 gramm margarin
• 125 gramm amanyn
• Holan
• Dowr
• Oy po leth

A-ji

Penag! Ov vy losowegores, ytho my a wrug usya onyonen, kennin, patatys, skavel gronek, kowlvleujen, pompik, ha pes. Ow tas ev a wrug kegi pasti hweg gans aval ha koryns.

Danvonadow

1. Tomma forn dhe degre 240
2. Kemyska bleus gans holan
3. Keworra margarin hag amanyn, kemyska
4. Keworra dowr, kemyska skon
5. Shapya yn pel ha gorra yn yeynell nebes ourys
6. Ranna yn 6 pelyow ha plattya yn kelghyow
7. Leunhe heb losowen-gegin ha spisys (holan, puber, turmeric, chilli, losow an bara, ha kumin), plegya hogen yn hanter ha “crimp”.
8. Rebellya erbynn kevreyth chatelydh.
9. Liwa pasti gans oy po leth, ha gwana hogen gans kollell
10. Pobas yn forn dhe 10 mynysennow, ena iselhe tomder dhe 180 degre ha pobas dhe 30-40 mynysennow, po erna pasti eus parys ha owrek.

Termyn dybri pastiow!!!