PASTIES
A real winter treat, because they make a hearty meal that will fuel you up for a big day’s work. Great to make with leftover roast meat, veg and gravy. You can cheat and use store-bought short crust pastry, but it isn’t hard to whip up your own pastry, especially if you use a food processor. If you’re a traditionalist – and have the time – you can make the pastry by hand!
INGREDIENTS
Pastry (makes enough for 6 pasties)
500g plain flour
125g chilled lard
125g chilled butter
cold water
extra plain flour for dusting
1 egg, beaten into submission (only kidding!)
Filling 1
300g cooked pumpkin (cut your pumpkin into half, sprinkle some curry powder and olive oil over the cut half, bake in a hot oven for 40 minutes)
1 chorizo, cut into small pieces and fried off (keep the pan juices)
100g cubed feta
splash of maple syrup
salt & pepper
Filling 2
300g of any casserole meat (gravy beef etc), cut into small cubes
1 swede cut into small dice
1 large potato cut into small dice
1 brown onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
50g butter
olive oil
1 beef stock cube
1/2 cup red wine or similar cooking wine
50g butter, softened, extra
3 tablespoons corn flour
salt & pepper
OR
Cut up left over roast meat and add in any leftover vegetables and gravy for an easy pastie filling.
METHOD
Step 1 – Make the pastry
Place the flour, lard and butter into a food processor and process until the mixture is like fine bread crumbs.
Gradually add (up to 6 tablespoons) just enough chilled water to form the pastry into a ball.
Take it out of the processor, form into a ball with your hands, divide into 6 equal portions, and refrigerate each portion for at least 30 minutes before using. You can freeze this pastry if you make a larger quantity.
Step 2 – Make your filling/s
Filling 1 - Cooked Pumpkin, Chorizo and Feta
Combine all of the Filling 1 ingredients in a bowl. Make sure you include the pan juices left from frying off the chorizo – they give the pastie a hint of smoky paprika flavour – just delish!
Filling 2 - Beef and vegetables
Place the meat cubes into a zip lock bag with the flour and shake to coat. Melt 50g of butter with a splash of olive oil in a pan. Shake off any excess plain flour into the bag and brown the meat in the hot butter/oil mix.
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add a beef stock cube and add the swede, potato and onion. Cook off the vegetables until a knife will easily pierce them. Drain the vegetables and meat but keep both the stock water and the pan juices.
Deglaze the pan used to fry the meat with a good slug of good red wine, or port, or whatever cooking wine you have that you like (madeira or sherry are also great). Scrape up all the pan juices, cook off the alcohol, then add in a cup of the beef veg stock.
In a bowl, mix together a 50g pat of softened butter with 3 tablespoons of corn flour to make a paste. Use this paste to thicken the gravy using a whisk. You are after a thick, tasty gravy. Season to your own taste with salt and pepper.
In a bowl, combine the meat and veg and gravy. Add enough gravy to bring it all together – the mixture should not be runny. Once your filling is ready, put it in the fridge until it's cold.
Step 3 - Assemble Pasties
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
On a piece of baking paper, using a little extra flour on a rolling pin and on the paper, roll out each portion of flour into a circle. Use a noodle bowl as a template to cut out a circle shape.
Keep any left over bits of pastry – you can often get an extra pastie out of the leftovers.
Using a pastry brush, run a line of egg wash around the rim of the pastry circle. Place two tablespoons of filling into the middle of each pastry round.
Fold over the pastry to make a semi circle.
Pick up the pastry and crimp along the edge to contain the filling.
Brush the pastie with the egg wash, and cut two holes for steam to escape during cooking.
Place on a baking tray in the oven at 180°C for 30-40 minutes.
TIPS
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Don’t overfill your pasties or they will split when baking.
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Your mixture needs to be firm, not sloppy so go easy on the wet ingredients (eg gravy).
Thanks to Amanda Stroud for this recipe, which she demonstrated at the 2016 Winter Nethercote Produce Market.
Photo Credits: Lis Shelley
