The Cornish pasty is a savory dish typical of England, a kind of half-moon shaped turnover made with shortcrust pastry and filled with meat and vegetables. Cornish pasties are baked and perfect to take to a picnic or for a snack on the go. To make the filling more succulent and tasty, I added Bauer’s Goulash mix. The mix, combined with cold water and then added to the filling during cooking, makes it creamy and, indeed, more succulent. These Cornish pasties are truly irresistible and can be enjoyed both hot and cold. In England, they are often served with ketchup, which I must say, pairs perfectly.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 10 Cornish pasties
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: English
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 tbsps cold butter
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2/3 lbs beef (lean, diced)
- 1 cup onions
- 1 1/2 cups carrots
- 2 cups potatoes
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 40 g Goulash mix (Bauer – broths and flavorings)
- 1 1/4 cups water
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 egg (for brushing)
- to taste ketchup (for serving)
Steps
To prepare the Cornish pasties with beef and vegetables, start by preparing the dough, which must rest for at least an hour in the fridge.
Place the flour, baking powder, salt, cold butter, and cold water in the mixer. Run the mixer for a few seconds until the dough begins to form. Transfer everything onto the work surface and briefly knead until you get a fairly homogeneous dough. Form a ball, wrap it in cling film, and place it in the fridge for at least an hour.
Cut the beef into cubes of about 1 cm and set aside.
Peel the onions and chop them into small cubes. Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them into cubes of about 1 cm. Heat a pan with oil and sauté the onions and carrots for a couple of minutes, then add the potatoes and sauté everything for another two minutes. Add the meat and continue cooking over high heat until the meat is browned.
Separately, in a small bowl, mix Bauer’s Goulash mix with cold water. Then pour the liquid into the pan with the meat and vegetables and boil over high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, adjusting salt and pepper if needed. Add the thyme leaves, mix, and remove from heat. Let cool completely before proceeding.
When the dough has rested in the fridge for at least an hour and the filling has cooled, you can proceed to assemble the Cornish pasties. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces and form a ball with each. Roll the first ball of dough on a lightly floured surface until you get a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on one half of the circle, leaving the edges free. Brush the edge with a little water, then fold the dough into a half-moon, pressing well along the edges to make them stick together. Brush the edge of the half-moon again with a little water and, starting from one end, fold the corner of the half-moon inward, then fold the new corner formed inward. Continue like this along the entire edge. Place the Cornish pasty on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and proceed in the same way for the remaining dough and filling.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (convection).
In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork, then brush the Cornish pasties with it. Finally, make two small incisions on the surface of each half-moon so that steam can escape during baking.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes, until golden.
Remove your Cornish pasties from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before enjoying them. Serve accompanied with ketchup or other sauces. They are also excellent cold!
Tips
To get a different filling each time, try replacing the beef with chicken and the carrots with bell peppers, for example.
If you prefer, you can also roll out all the dough, cut the disks to fill, and then reuse the leftover dough to make more Cornish pasties.
