The history of the Cornish pasty or pastie (pronounced PASS-tee) is a fun and interesting one. These individual meat and vegetable pies were traditionally two pounds or more, and each member of the family has their initials marked at one corner. This way each person’s tastes could be catered to.
They are so handsome on the plate – hot – right out of the oven! As you can see, they are also huge, so you may want to make twice as many, half as large!
Fascinating History of the Cornish Pasty
Originally, the solid ridge of pastry, hand-crimped along the side of the pasty, was designed so that the miner or traveler could grasp the pie for eating and then throw the crust away. By doing this, he did not run the risk of germs and contamination from dirty hands. There is probably some truth to this rumor as the early Cornish tin mines had large amounts of arsenic, so this practice kept the men from consuming large amounts of arsenic.
The Cornish pasty is known and loved throughout Great Britain and Ireland and fierce arguments abound as to the origins of Cornish pasties with neighboring Devon also laying claim to the origins of the pasty.
According to Linda Stradley at What’s Cooking America, “One end of the pasty would usually contain a sweet filling which the wives would mark or initial so the miner wouldn’t eat his dessert first, while the other end would contain meat and vegetables. The true Cornish way to eat a pasty is to hold it in your hands, and begin to eat it from the top down to the opposite end of the initialed part. That way its rightful owner could consume any left over portion later.”
When we made pasties last month, we found out that they are amazing and hold together well when cold!
This fits something else Linda Stradley mentioned: “Pasties are one of the most ancient methods of cooking and of carrying cooked food. It is said that the early Irish Catholic Priests created them in order to transport food as they walked about the countryside preaching and aiding the people.”
The Cornish pasty is almost better (if that could be possible) the next day and would work well for an impressive send-along lunch-box meal.
These freeze well, too, to make ahead in quantity for a later date.
We made for our oldest son’s birthday this week and used a lot of grass-fed steak, which he loves!
The crust is truly amazing, light and very flaky; no shortening here – just healthful coconut oil and organic butter.
Vegetable Filling Ingredients
- 1 to 1 and 1/2 lb. pre-cooked steak cut into cubes
- 2 cups 1/3-inch diced yellow or white onion
- 2 cups 1/3-inch diced potatoes (leave the peeling on if organic)
- 2 cups 1/3-inch diced rutabaga (will add sweetness)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 5-6 butter (1/2″ x 1/2′) cubes per pasty
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon thyme (“…parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme?”)
Pastry Crust Ingredients
- 4 1/2 . all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 c. coconut oil, solid
- 1/2 cup butter, preferably organic
- 1 1/3 c. chilled water
- For the pastry egg wash (optional): 1 egg and 2 tsp. milk, beaten
Visual Cornish Pasty Tutorial:
Directions for Filling
While potatoes, onions and swede (rutabaga) are traditional, you can use any root vegetable you have on hand. Variations include the addition of turnip, carrot, or even peas, but a Cornishman will tell you these are not the genuine article.
Rutabaga is a very mild, sweet-tasting yellow turnip and very inexpensive. The huge root above was 79¢.
Dice the veggies into fairly small cubes or pieces. You can save the usual step of stove-top steaming and add them raw. They will cook just fine due to their small size.
I used steak cut into cubes for this special birthday meal, but you can use any pre-cooked meat of choice. Possibilities include browned and drained ground beef, diced beef or lamb roast, diced chicken, sausage or bacon, etc.
Directions for the Cornish Pastry Crust
Work both the cold coconut oil and butter into the flour mixture until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, a little at a time, tossing with fork (or fingers) until all flour is moistened and pastry dough almost cleans side of bowl. Add the cold water and work into dough. Do not over knead.
Divide your dough into 6 equal portions.
Sprinkle your rolling surface with flour and take 1/6 of the dough, rolling it into a rough circle.
Fill each portion of dough with approximately 1/6th of the diced vegetables, meat, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Don’t worry about being exact as that takes some of the fun out of it!
Cut 5 or 6 small cubes of butter over filling. We eat organic butter fairly liberally since it is actually good for you.
Pull the sides of the pastry up gently and press together. Pre-wetting the edges of the pastry will help the crust stick together. Rolling the dough too thin can be a problem, but this recipe is one we have found to be fairly stretchy and that doesn’t tear easily.
Roll and crimp the edges into a thick seam atop the pie. You could also make the seam at the side for a more traditional ‘handle’. This is where the artist can express oneself!
Egg Wash and Baking the Cornish Pasty
Place the pasties on cookie sheets. Add the egg wash liberally (or use milk in a pinch) with a baster for a shiny crust.
There is no rule as to the size you have to make a Cornish pasty; you can cut everything in half and still have a very good-sized pie. Adjust your time for baking. Bake for 45-55 minutes in a preheated oven at 400-425 ° until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Every oven thermostat varies.
Alone these are a hearty meal in themselves. Even the hungriest in your family will be totally satisfied after eating one. The Cornish pasty is excellent served with a fresh green salad and fruit to balance their richness.
“It is said that the Devil never crossed the Tamar into Cornwall on account of the well-known habit of Cornish women of putting everything left-over into a pasty, and that he was not sufficiently courageous to risk such a fate!” ~Cornish Recipes Ancient and Modern, 23rd edition~ early legend
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Deborah Berko
I am a Michigan girl and pasties are famous in the Upper Penninsula. I haven’t had one since going gluten free and really miss them. My quest for a great gluten free pie crust has begun! BTW . . . Pasties freeze beautifully. 🙂
Jacqueline
Hi, Deborah!
If you get that dough recipe to work as gluten-free, please, please let us know! I would love to practice and learn it, and I know my daughter would, as well!! We do eat a bit more non-sprouted breads in spurts (like this special meal) and it is affecting us somewhat. Grace to you and everyone there 🙂
Joy
I think these look so lovely! I like your use of ‘lesser’ utilized roots too. For gluten free pockets, I have had good luck with the recipe here. http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2010/12/fliesch-perishky-pastry-meat-pockets.html
Jacqueline
I appreciate your kind words, Joy 🙂
And thank you for pointing us to a GF recipe…I hadn’t had a moment to look for one yet.
Sue
Did you try Einkorn flour. It’s ancient non GMO and many “gluten free” people can tolerate it
Jacqueline
No, Sue, I’ve never even heard of it!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. I will look into it right away!
God bless you, friend!
Toni
Oh, this is a really fun post. It’s been a long time since I was in England, but I do remember the meat pies. (I was very young, new to homemaking, and more interested in other things back then.)
I really loved reading the history behind the way they were made. Thank you for taking the time to show how to make t hem. The tutorial is excellent.
Jacqueline
Thank you, Toni, for your kind words. Like Deborah B. said in her comment, the Michiganers (Upper Peninsula) have a regional pasty based on the ones brought by the Cornish peoples coming to America to work in the copper mines. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
JES
This is interesting. We make something similar that derived from Russia. However, our filling is sauteed cabbage, carrot and ground beef. You can do a raised dough or a pastry like dough like yours above. And YES, they are excellent for traveling and always a treat! Yours look really hearty! I might have to experiment more with our fillings!
Jacqueline
JES,
Hi, sweet friend! Is that like a pierogi? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi
Renee
I think I’ve found a new “go-to” recipe! Thank you SO VERY MUCH for sharing! I’d never heard of these, though they seem very similar to pierogies. 🙂
Kate @ Teaching What Is Good
Oh fun! I started making pasties about 20 years ago when I bought this great whole grain cookbook. Being French/Russian, Welsh cooking was not in my repertoire. I really love them but my husband only likes wet food. I tried some putting a gravy inside and he liked them better. Thanks for these great tutorials. My recipe had me sealing them on the sides rather than the top…I like the top better! Thanks for linking up.
Trisha
Beautiful ! God’s creativeness never ends!
Thank you for sharing,
Trisha : )
Amanda
These look wonderful. The history of them was fun to learn too.
jedidja
This food is completely unknown to these Dutch mother. You know what I think? I fill the patties with sauerkraut, Dutch smoked sausage, cream and cashew nuts. But just maybe … as the Google translator does his best, I try to bake / cook what you posted on your blog 🙂 Thank you Lord, for this food. All over the world.
Jacqueline
Jedidja,
I can’t tell you how good that sounds to me, an old Dutch girl. Did you hear that my father is from Holland? The sauerkraut and sausage is something I loved as a little girl. Put it in a pastry dough and it will be amazing! I love that I am able to get to know you over the internet <3
Please let me know how they turn out 🙂
Naomi@WhatJoyIsMine
Jacqueline….I am so going to try these. I love the rustic-ness of them and variety that can be created. Thank you friend for passing on the recipe and history. Blessings to you.
Carol
Enjoyed reading another perspective on pasties– and your great tutorial. Like Deborah I am a Michigan girl. My grandfathers worked in the copper mines and took pasties with them for a meal. My family has always enjoyed homemade pasties or Upper Peninsula pasties (available everywhere in the U.P.) for a picnic along Lake Superior.
We have some gluten sensitivity in our family and I have played with variations for the pasty dough. I have found it possible to substitute 1/4 to 1/3 of the flour with brown rice flour. I also add an egg yolk and a tablespoon of vinegar with cold water that I sprinkle in the dough.
I have my recipe for the miner’s pasty on my website. http://carolvanderwoudern.com/miners-pasty/
Jacqueline
Carol,
By your last name would I be way off to think you are of Dutch descent?? I will come for a visit and see what you do~~
Thank you so much for giving us some direction to reduce the amount of wheat in this recipe. We are now looking at making some changes, but we are slow as a herd of turtles to do it. Every little bit helps 🙂 Between you and Joy’s comment, maybe we will get there sooner!! Blessings to you~~
jacinda
These look incredible, Jacqueline! And I love your new recipe print-out version!
Kay
I’ve just found your blog (which I’m finding really enjoyable) so hence the late addition to comments on this post. I live in Camborne, Cornwall in England and was surprised and delighted to see a post about pasties. Here in the UK, pasties have always been referred to as Cornish pasties. But now there is a law in place that states that only pasties actually made in the Duchy can be called Cornish pasties.
Your pasties looked delicious, however, a Cornish housewife wouldn’t dice the vegetables. she would cut thin slices off the vegetables. Turnips wouldn’t be used, only swede. But funnily enough, swedes are often referred to here as turnips – just to confuse the issue! 🙂 I was taught by my mother, grandmother and aunts that pasties should be crimped along the side, but my husband disagrees and says that the crimping should be along the top. (They all taste good, no matter where the crimping is – apart from the mass produced pasties sold by large corporations!)
Our government recently tried to introduce a tax on hot pasties bought from bakers’ shops. There was a lot of opposition and the tax was withdrawn!
Jacqueline
Welcome, Kay,
Thanks for stopping by. I had read some of that (and about the tax!) , but you LIVE there, and so I find your information much more reliable and valuable. We had wanted to put in carrots as they are a favorite in our household, but decided we’d hold off for another time. We love to be ‘proper’ 🙂 Have a blessed day!
Christephi
Hi there! My pasties are in the oven. I had to make two without veggies for my picky kids (seriously, some days you just pick your battles). And I mixed the egg yolk leftover from the egg wash with some veggies and meat for two for my husband. Probably totally “improper,” but I hated to waste the yolk…and the man loves his eggs. LOL! They smell so good and I can’t wait to try them! Thanks for posting the recipe!
Jacqueline
Yay! You did make them 🙂 I think it is grand you used the egg was the way You did! What is that old saying, “Waste not, want not”??
God bless you, Christephi!
Nanasknoll
Does this pastry work as good for pies?
Jacqueline
Hello Nanasknoll!
The pasty would be an excellent pie crust, in my opinion, but we have not used it for that yet! We almost used it for the gooseberry pie in last week’s post :)I would love to know how you like it! God’s blessings to you and yours~
Matt
Thank you so much for this excellent tutorial. After marrying a Cornish woman, I’ve discovered my love of pasties.
I particuarly LOVE the video clip you’ve shared of Cornish Nan showing her Grandson how she cooks a traditional Cornish pasty from Cornwall. It is just wonderful – and I’ve now watched a few of her other videos. Thank you so much for sharing this clip.
Jacqueline
You are so welcome, Matt. We have had a blast making them and are also developing a love of these wonderful pockets! It sounds like you have a good wife 🙂
Have a blessed day~