Cornish Pasty (Beef and Vegetable Pastry Parcel)
Why this recipe works
- Classic enclosed bake: The raw beef and vegetables cook inside the sealed pastry, keeping the filling savoury and moist while the crust browns.
- Sturdy crust, tender filling: Cold butter and light handling help create a short, flaky pastry that contrasts with the soft potato, swede and beef inside.
- Good for planning ahead: Baked pasties keep well in the fridge or freezer and reheat neatly, making them useful for lunches or batch cooking.
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Timing notes
- Allow time for pastry and baking: Most of the time is hands-off baking, but the dough needs chilling so it rolls cleanly and holds its shape.
- Rest before serving: A short rest after baking lets the juices settle, making the pasties easier to slice or eat by hand.
- Best served warm: Serve warm rather than piping hot, when the pastry is crisp enough to hold and the filling has settled.
Texture tips
- Keep the pastry cold: Cold butter and milk help the pastry bake up short and flaky rather than tough.
- Dice the filling evenly: Small, even pieces of beef and vegetables cook through at the same pace inside the pastry.
- Use the hot baking tray: Starting the pasties on a preheated tray helps the base set quickly and reduces sogginess.
Authenticity notes
- Crimped side edge: The distinctive side crimp is part of the classic Cornish pasty shape and helps seal in the filling.
- Recognisable filling: Beef, potato, swede and onion are the defining savoury filling, with black pepper providing the characteristic warmth.
- Milk or water pastry: Using milk gives a slightly richer pastry, while water produces a crisper, more traditional-style shortcrust.
Make-ahead tips
- Prepare the filling in advance: The beef and vegetables can be diced ahead and kept chilled, ready to assemble once the pastry is rolled.
- Freeze once baked: Cool baked pasties completely before freezing, then defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat on a tray: Reheat on a baking tray at 180°C (355°F) until piping hot so the pastry stays firmer than it would in a microwave.
Equipment you'll need
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and put a baking tray inside to heat up. Cut the butter into small cubes. Beat the egg in a small bowl and set aside.
- Put the plain flour and fine sea salt in a mixing bowl, then rub in the butter until it looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces left. Add the whole milk a little at a time, mixing just until a firm dough forms. Shape into a disc and chill in the fridge until firm.
- Meanwhile, cut the beef into small dice. Peel the potato and swede, then cut both into small dice; finely chop the onion. Put everything in a bowl and season with the black pepper and a pinch more fine sea salt.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into two rounds about 22 to 24 cm wide. Divide the filling between the rounds, piling it slightly off-centre and leaving a 2 cm border. Brush the border with a little beaten egg, then fold the pastry over to enclose the filling and press to seal.
- Crimp the sealed edge firmly along one side to make the classic pasty shape, then cut 2 small steam holes in the top of each. Brush the tops with the remaining beaten egg. Carefully transfer to the hot baking tray.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 170°C (340°F) and bake for a further 45 minutes, until deep golden and the filling is tender when a skewer is inserted through a steam hole. Rest for 10 minutes before serving so the juices settle. Serve warm.
Recipe notes
Tips
- Keep the butter and milk cold and handle the dough lightly for a flaky shortcrust.
- Dice the beef and vegetables small and evenly so the filling cooks through before the pastry over-browns.
- Food safety: if serving to pregnant people, young children, older adults, or anyone immunocompromised, use an egg with a recognised safety mark and bake the pasties until the filling is piping hot.
Substitutions
- Replace Whole milk with water for a slightly crisper, more traditional-style shortcrust.
- Replace Unsalted butter with salted butter, then reduce the Fine sea salt to 0.5 tsp.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Cool completely, then refrigerate in a sealed container. Reheat on a baking tray at 180°C (355°F) for 15 to 20 minutes until piping hot. Freeze baked, cooled pasties for up to 2 months; defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 2 pieces
- Yield: Cornish pasties
- Total time: 1h 50min (35min active)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cuisine: British
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Allergens:
Eggs Gluten Milk Wheat
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