Whilst I love a traditional Cornish pasty, I have to admit that I have completely fallen for this pasties recipe. It is a pimped up version containing sirloin beef, sautéed mushrooms and onion marmalade.
The pasties also contain nuggets of Cashel Blue cheese which is one of my favourite Irish farmhouse cheeses. I regularly use it in my cooking and baking as I find its earthy, nutty notes complement the flavours of so many other ingredients.
Makes 4-5
Ingredients:
Filling
– 1 tbsp vegetable oil and a small knob of butter
– 125g button mushrooms, sliced
– 250g sirloin beef, chopped into small 1cm dice
– 200g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm dice
– 50g onion marmalade
– 1 tbsp of finely chopped thyme
– A few splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
– 75g-100g Cashel Blue cheese, broken into 2cm ‘nuggets’
– Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to season
Hot Water Crust Pastry
– 400g plain flour
– ½ tsp salt
– 125g chilled butter
– 150ml water
To finish
– 1 egg beaten to glaze
Method:
Filling
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan Oven 180C/Gas Mark 6.
2. Line a large baking tray with some non-stick baking parchment and set aside.
3. Melt the oil and butter in a small frying pan over a moderate to high heat and add the mushrooms.
4. Season with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper and fry until they have softened slightly and turned a golden brown colour.
5. Remove from the heat, drain on some kitchen paper and allow to cool.
6. Place the chopped beef and potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the cooled mushrooms.
7. Next add the onion marmalade and chopped thyme. Season well and add a couple of splashes of Worcestershire Sauce.
8. Mix together to disperse everything evenly but try not to break up the cheese. Set aside while you make the pastry.
Hot Water Crust Pastry
1. Sift the flour and salt together.
2. Separately place the butter and water into a medium sized saucepan, place over a high heat and bring up to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat once the butter has melted and add the flour stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth but do not overwork.
4. Using a large rolling pin, roll out the dough until it 3 or 4mm thick.
5. Using an upturned side plate as a guide, cut out 4 or 5 circles (approximately 20cms in diameter).
6. Dividing the mixture evenly, place mounds on one half of each circle, leaving a good edge clear all around the circle.
7. Brush around the edge of each pasty with a little beaten egg and bring the one side over to meet the other edge thus encasing the filling.
8. Pinch and crimp the edges together to ensure that they are well sealed and place on the prepared baking tray.
9. Brush the pasties with a little more egg wash and cut a small slit in the top of each to allow steam to escape.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for ten minutes and then lower the heat to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4 and continue to bake for a further 25-30 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
12. The pasties can be served hot or cold but I like to eat them when they are still slightly warm and the Cashel Blue oozes out seductively.
Niamh believes Ireland produces some of the best food in the world, and travels around the country; seeking out the best food producers, and places to eat.
An accomplished cook and baker, Niamh is also a previous MasterChef Ireland finalist. During the competition she had the opportunity to cook in some of Ireland’s top restaurants and experience life on the other side of the kitchen pass.
Working with TheTaste allows Niamh to write about her experiences and to share her passion for food and cooking with a wide audience.
Visit Niamh’s blog The Game Bird Food Chronicles.
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