Pasties are traditional Cornish meat pies that originated as a handy way for Cornish mine workers to carry food with them into the mines, as the thick crust is reported to protect the filling. Today's filling has beef as a center point but the traditional pasty was usually filled with whatever was at hand. In this video, the simple filling of potatoes, onions and skirt steak skips the traditional swede (or turnips, as folks in North America may know them).
Mrs. Bolitho's crust recipe calls for margarine and Trex (a British form of vegetable fat, similar to Crisco) which may not appeal to some palates but the resulting pasties, which we get a quick glimpse of at the end of the 5 minute segment, look golden and delicious. Pasties have a Protected Geographical Indication in Europe, and while the filling regulations are quite specific, the pastry crust is only required to be golden in color and not crack while cooking and cooling.
The making of the pasty is not the only thing worth watching in this video. The Port Eliot House kitchen is a delightfully eccentric place, painted bright blue and still equipped with its separate Scullery, Knife Room and Game Larder. Look for the bird and elephant head sculptures scattered throughout, a lovely hutch stuffed with preserves and cookbooks, and racks of gleaming, covetable copperware.
• Mrs. Bolitho's Cornish Pasty Recipe
• More about the Cornish pastyfrom the Guardian
• More about Port Eliot House
Related: Quick Dinner on the Go: Savory Hand Pies
(Image: Guardian)
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Love the Cornishware salt and pepper shakers. Not so sure about the Trex and margarine, though the pasties do look lovely.
Pasties are big in the UP. This takes me back to long ski vacations at the Porcupine Mtns. They look delicious. I should introduce these to my household.
My family fixes pasty very often, being of the direct decent of Cornish lead miners. But as the post mentions, traditional pasty should have turnips or other roots in it as well. And often is made with ground beef. For some reason I've never particularly cared for it. Shh, don't tell my family.
From reading the Trex website, it claims to be trans-fat free. Any can substantiate these claims?
My husband is British so I have spent considerable time learning British ingredients and ways of cooking. This article states that "Swede is turnip in North America" but this is actually not true. Swede is the same as rutabaga in the states.
I just made empanadas this week...similar idea with different spices, of course.
Very interesting video! Thank you. Love pasties.
What a charming kitchen! Thanks for sharing.