Cornish Pasty

For the pastry… 

• 450g plain flour
• 125g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 125ml cold water

For the filling…

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled, finely diced
• 175g swede, peeled, finely diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 350g beef skirt or chuck steak, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 80g butter
• egg, for sealing and glazing

Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.

Begin by making your pastry. Go into the food processor with your flour, baking powder, salt, butter and egg yolks and blitz to form a crumb. You can absolutely do this by hand rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients and then adding in your egg yolks.

Pop it into a bowl and add your water. Bring it together with your hands, trying not to overwork the dough. Form a smooth ball, wrap it in clingfilm and leave it to chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Once chilled roll it out to 3mm thickness and slice out 4 large discs using a dinner plate as a template.

Mix your filling ingredients in a bowl and divide evenly between your 4 pastry discs, piling them into the centre with a large border around them. Dot each stack with butter and brush around the edge with some beaten egg. Take one side of your pastry disc and fold it over to meet the other side, sealing your filling tightly inside the pastry.

Give a little squeeze to pack everything tight and twist up the sealed edge to create a signature Cornish pasty trim. Brush the pasty with the egg wash to glaze and pierce the top to create a steam vent.

Bake for 10 minutes on a lined baking tray and then drop the temperature to 180°C/ 350°F/gas 4 and cook for 45 minutes more until golden.

This is a winner!