Easy Pastry:
3 cups plain flour
180 gm butter cut into cubes
4 Tbsp cold water
Filling:
Approx. 375 gm of steak, either rump or braising steak (Blue Mountain Butchery)
4 potatoes which hold shape when cooked, I used Purple Passions (Caithness Farm)
1/2 swede (Ettrick Gardens)
60 gm butter
2 onions finely chopped.
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
2 tsp mixed herbs (optional)
1 egg beaten (Agreeable Nature)
These are a family favourite on a Sunday night in our house, and any leftovers are great for school or work lunch the next day.
PASTRY:
Put flour and butter into a food processor and pulse until like breadcrumbs. Add the cold water and pulse to form a dough. Wrap the dough in baking paper, in a ball, and put in the fridge to firm up while you prepare the filling.
FILLING:
Chop the steak, potatoes, swede, and butter into small cubes. Finely chop the onion & mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
PASTIES:
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.
Roll out pastry and use a large saucer as a guide cut out 8 round circle shapes or more, if you have enough pastry.
Brush the edges of the pastry with a beaten egg and put a small mound of the filling in the centre of the pastry circle. Bring the edges together to meet over the centre of the filling. Press to seal. Crimp the seal to make the traditional shape of a pasty which is meant to resemble a dragon's tail, according to my Scottish great grandmother, who taught me to make these when she was 96 and I was 6. Brush the pastries with the rest of the egg wash. Bake in a 220-degree C. oven for the first 15mins, then 180 for an hour.
Recipe by: Nickee Charteris
