Cornish pasty recipe

This traditional Cornish pasty recipe stays true to the original with a tasty meat and vegetable filling surrounded by crisp, buttery pastry. It's such a great combination and makes a delicious lunch or portable snack.

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Growing up in the UK, I grew up enjoying some of the classic traditional savory pastries that you'll find available all over. Sausage rolls are high on the list, as are pasties, in particular the Cornish version.

They're comforting, perfect to grab and go for a snack or lunch, and they are easier than you might think to recreate at home, too.

What are Cornish pasties?

Cornish pasties are a traditional hand-held savory pastry. Exactly where they originate is a little unclear, but as the name suggests, they have become closely associated with Cornwall in the far Southwest of England.

The pasty can be dated back as far as the 13th century when they were apparently more reserved for the wealthy with rich fillings like venison, beef and eel and various gravies.

By the 17th and 18th century, however, the idea was adopted by farmers and tin miners in Cornwall as a convenient portable meal they could take to work. The filling was more humble but varied enough to provide a full meal. You can find more on the history of Cornish pasties in this post.

Ingredients for Cornish pasties

Since meat was expensive, the original version would have contained less meat compared to vegetables than what is typical today. But the core ingredients of beef, potato, onion and swede (rutabaga) remain the same. Just a little salt and pepper is all they need to form a wonderfully flavorful filling as they cook. Well, OK, a little butter helps too.

The idea of pasties spread across the UK, and to the US and elsewhere thanks largely to Cornish immigrants. And with that came variations in the fillings, to include vegetarian versions like cheese and onion, as well as creative twists on the idea.

The original Cornish pasty has been recognized as a food of cultural significance by the EU, giving it PGI or protected origin status in 2011. This means that technically you can't call it a Cornish pasty unless it is made in the region to a specific recipe. 

However, you can still most definitely enjoy the flavors of this simple yet delicious savory bite. And here I have kept as true to the original as possible.

What cut of beef is best for Cornish pasties?

The traditional and most common choice for the meat is beef skirt steak as it has a good balance of flavor and is relatively lean. Some mince (grind) the meat but I prefer thin slices that you then chop into small pieces. 

If you can't find skirt steak, sirloin or ribeye would also work, though they tend to be more expensive. They also may need well trimmed to remove any gristle and larger pieces of fat.

Tips for making a Cornish pasty

These savory bites have two key components to them: the pastry and the filling. And while neither are complicated, a couple tips will help you make them turn out as well as possible. 

For the filling:

• You can either slice or dice the vegetables, but the pieces should be relatively small to ensure they cook through as they bake. Personally, I prefer a small dice.
• Make sure you cut the meat across the grain so that the pieces are as tender as possible.

The pastry is a relatively simple shortcrust pastry, much like a typical savory pie crust. I find the dough comes together really easily with a food processor, though you can also mix everything by hand.

• Mix the flour, salt and butter to form coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add cold water to bring the pastry dough together, a little at a time. The dough should be soft but neither sticky nor cracking. Take care not to over-mix - simply pulse as you add the water.
• Let the dough rest before you roll it out so that the gluten can relax a bit. Be sure to wrap it in plastic wrap/cling film to make sure it doesn't get too dry.
• Roll the dough out relatively thinly on a lightly floured surface and use a small plate, for example, as a guide to cut evenly-sized circles.

Filling the pasties

You can pre-mix the filling ingredients (as I prefer) or layer them together on the dough. Either way, you want to find a balance between enough filling but not so full the filling bursts through the pastry. Those vegetables can be surprisingly pointy, especially if you pastry is thin.

• Fill on one side of the circle (or place in middle and move more to one side as you fold over) and leave a gap to allow some pastry to crimp the edges together.
• Press to seal the top pastry over the filling then crimp to secure the edges and give the classic pastry handle.
• Cut a slight slit on the top to allow steam to escape.
• Transfer the pasties to a lined baking sheet to catch any drips that may escape.
• Brush the pastry with beaten egg before baking to help the crust form a golden brown color.

Random fact, but Cornish pasties are always crimped, and also always crimped on the side edge. If they are crimped over the top, this is the style of neighboring Devon. I imagine it's almost as heated a debate between the regions as whether to add jam or cream first to your scones.

Pasties are baked relatively low and long so be patient, but it's worth the wait! You want to make sure both the vegetables and pastry crust are cooked and the outside gets nicely crisp as well. As the filling cooks, the meat and vegetables in effect create their own gravy so the filling is lovely and juicy.

Can Cornish pasties be frozen?

Indeed they can! The best way, if you are able to plan for it, is to freeze pasties before cooking. You can then bake them from frozen, simply add around 15 - 20 minutes to the bake time.

If the pasties are already baked, then you can still freeze them once they cool and then reheat. For previously baked pasties, I tend to prefer to defrost them first to make sure the filling is not cold and evenly warm, as you won't have them in the oven as long. 

This Cornish pasty recipe stays true to the delicious original (as why change something so tasty?) with a simple, flavorful filling in a crisp pastry crust. It's perfect to pack for a picnic, or enjoy fresh out the oven. A traditional bite so worth recreating at home.

Try these other tasty savory bites:

• Flammkuchen (also known as Flammekueche/tarte flambee, is a pizza-like tart topped with bacon and onion. Crisp, easy and delicious)
• Mushroom galette (a delicious savory pie/tart with an earthy mushroom filling)
• Empanada gallega (a tasty Spanish pie filled with onion, pepper, egg and tuna)
• Plus get more British recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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