Our very own Morwenna from our Events team has very kindly shared her ‘proper job’ Cornish pasty recipe to share with you all. Just writing this, is making our tummy’s rumble! We can’t wait to give this recipe a go on a not too distant rainy day during these difficult times. We know it will definitely lift our spirits! Let us know if you give it a go too and tag us on social media @tregennacastle.
The Recipe
Shortcrust pastry:
2oz lard
2oz butter or marge
8oz of plain flour
pinch of salt
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Pasty filling:
Beef skirt or chuck steak (about 1lb per pasty)
Potatoes
Turnip (or swede if you’re not Cornish)
Onion
Salt and pepper
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The Cornish Morwenna Method
For the pastry….
Sift flour into bowl with salt, cut up the lard and butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Rub this in till it resembles breadcrumbs, it’s messy but get stuck in there!!
Add a little cold water and mix until it starts to come together to form a dough, using a knife, then your fingers/hands when it comes together. Add a little water at a time as/if needed. It’s done when the dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
Wrap in plastic bag and leave in fridge for 30 mins (or till dreckly.) In an ideal and not so Cornish fashion, make the night before.
Next….
Roll out pastry and use a plate to cut around, (my pasties grow in the oven so even though I use a dinner plate they never fit on it once they’re cooked so eat it with your hands :-)
Layer up the filling: Potato first, followed by turnip. Then the beef, which is cut into bite size chunks and last is the chopped up onion.
Season with plenty of salt and pepper, it’s got to be peppery.
Use a pastry brush to wet the edge of the pastry round and then bring together. It’s quite tricky as I always overfill mine!! Fold in half and stick the edges together.
Then crimp (which is my favourite part!) This takes lots of practise but it really doesn’t need to be perfect as long as you are having fun.
Cut in a steam hole and initial with whose pasty it is. I think my family do this because my Gran who taught me this recipe had 16 siblings to contend with :-)
Glaze with a beaten egg for that lovely shine.
Bake in oven at about 160 (fan) for an hour, increase the temperature a bit for the last 10 minutes.
Contrary to popular belief: there are no carrots, peas or other veg in a Cornish pasty and you do not need stock or butter or anything else inside it. The flavour and juice comes from the bed itself.
ENJOY!