Pasties

Method

1. 01

   Preheat oven to 400°F 200°C Gas Mark 6.

2. 02

   Lightly dust the prepared meat in seasoned flour (optional but makes a thicker gravy of the enclosed juices).

3. 03

   Divide the pastry into 4 equal portions. Roll each into circles.

4. 04

   Layer meat and vegetables on one half of each pastry circle to within 1 inch of the edge. Season generously.

5. 05

   Brush milk onto the edge of the pastry circles (optional).

6. 06

   Bring the other half of the dough over the top of the mixture.

7. 07

   Pinch and twist to seal the dough around the edges.

8. 08

   Make a couple of small slashes in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape.

9. 09

   Brush pasties with the remaining milk (optional).

10. 10

    Use pastry trimmings to make the intended eater's initial(s) on one end of the pasty. This is the Cornish housewife's traditional way of making and identifying individual pasties to suit each family member e.g. less seasoning for young children or more meat for a hard-working son or anaemic daughter. Also, it enabled tin-miners and fishermen to identify their pasties if they had had to put them down somewhere half-eaten to attend to some urgent work.

11. 11

    Place the pasties on a lightly-greased baking tray (or a double thickness of aluminium foil directly onto the oven shelf).

12. 12

    Bake for about 45 minutes on the middle shelf of the preheated oven.

13. 13

    Best taken with a pint of bitter or stout or a large mug of strong tea.