Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Volume 2 Number 4 April, 1961 Article 3

1-1-1961

The Cornish Pasty

H M. Gloster

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Recommended Citation Gloster, H M. (1961) "The Cornish Pasty," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 2 : No. 4 , Article 3. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol2/iss4/3

This article is brought to you for free and open access by Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. By HELEN M. GLOSTER "Pastry rolled out like a plate, Piled with turmut, tates and mate, Doubled up and baked like fate, That's a Cornish Pasty".

If the average Australian woman was be proud of a pasty which would survive was asked for a description of a Cornish the Cornish miners' test. pasty, her answer would tally fairly The foundation of the pasty as we know accurately with the above lines. it today is Short Pastry. Australians are meat eaters, and the Any firm cold fat may be used, butter, pasty, as made in Australia, is invariably lard, margarine, good beef dripping, or a filled with a mixture of meat and mixture of any of these. If you wish to vegetables. make a good hard pasty and try the test The Cornish pasty was evolved to ful­ use mutton dripping. This however is not fil a definite purpose. recommended. (Beef dripping makes One filled with meat and vegetables is better pastry.) a complete meal in itself. Over the centuries Cornishmen have SHORT PASTRY carried their pasties to work, down the Ingredients. tin mines, into the fields, out to sea in i lb. plain flour. fishing boats. The qualities of a good i lb. fat (cold and firm). pasty were such that it had to be sustain­ Salt. ing, tasty, and nourishing. In addition it Water. had to be capable of travel. Squeeze of lemon juice. Any Cornishman will tell you that the Method: test of a good pasty is to drop it down Sift flour and salt. the shaft of a tin mine! A Cornish pasty Add fat, and rub into flour, with tips not only has to withstand rough handling, of fingers until mixture resembles hard, but was subjected to the moist atmos­ fine breadcrumbs. phere in mines and on fishing boats. Mix to a stiff dough with cold water. While we like our pasties to be suf­ Turn on to a cold slab or board. ficiently firm for packed lunches for Roll out and cut as required. taking to school and to picnics, I doubt Bake in a hot oven. if any "Farm and Home" readers would Temperature 400° F. 317 Journal of Agriculture, Vol 2 No 4, 1961 NJJ.—A little lemon juice added to water Parsley Pasty. improves any pastry particularly that Use finely cut mutton or lamb. Add which is made with dripping. Short pastry chopped parsley, salt and pepper. for pasties should be as stiff as possible. If cut with a six-inch plate this is only Rabbit Pasty. sufficient pastry for two pasties. Use the fleshy part of rabbit cut up into The modern pasty is cut to the size of small pieces. a saucer, and this quantity will make five Add pepper and salt. or six pasties according to the size of the saucer. Chicken Pasty. As above, using chicken. CORNISH PASTIES Method: Pork Pasty. Prepare the fillings. Fresh pork. Make pastry and roll out i in. thick. Potato. Onion. Cut into rounds the size of a saucer, Sage or thyme. place filling in the centre of each. Pepper and salt. Damp the edges; there should be suf­ ficient moisture seeping from the filling Eggy Pasty. to do this. Bacon cut into dice, parsley and one or Bring edges together, pinch and crimp* two eggs (now see Herby Pasty). or frill. Prick or make a small hole on top of Herby Pasty. each pasty. (This prevents bursting.) Bacon cut in small pieces. Glaze with beaten egg or egg and milk Parsley chopped. for savoury pasties. Shallots (young) chopped. Bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes, then Small quantity spinach, broken or a cooler oven for a further 15 minutes. chopped. Oven temperatures: Hot oven 400° F. 1 egg. Cooler oven 300-325° F. Method: * To Crimp Edges. Press edges together with left hand and fold over with right Pour boiling water over parsley and spinach. Leave half an hour then squeeze hand to form a rope-like effect on the all moisture out. side of the pasty. Avoid crimping on top Mix bacon, parsley, spinach, shallots of the pasty as tips are liable to get too and fill pasty, leaving a small opening brown. for egg to be added. Crack egg and slip In Western Australia the custom is to into the hole without breaking. pinch a frill along the sealed edges. Finish crimping, and bake. Varieties in Fillings. Apple Pasty. 6 oz. topside steak (uncooked). Peel and slice apples thinly. 1 potato. Sprinkle with brown sugar. 1 onion. In summer, blackberries or mulberries A piece of turnip (according to taste). may be mixed with apples. i teaspoon salt. Pepper. Broccoli Pasty. Boil broccoli (of cauliflower) until Method: nearly cooked but still quite firm. Wash and peel potato and onion, cut Strain, add salt. Fill pasty. into dice. Cut meat into small pieces, removing Date Pasty. any fat or gristle. Stone dates and fill. Mix ingredients together with salt and N.B.—A little lemon juice with dates pepper. takes off some of the sweetness. 318 Journal of Agriculture, Vol 2 No 4, 1961 Jam Pasty. Australian Pasty. These are made smaller than the Perhaps some reader would like to savoury pasties. experiment and make a pasty with a truly Any jam may be used. Australian flavour. This is a good way to use up left over A suggested filling is a mixture of pieces of pastry, and left over jam when kangaroo steak and pork, minced and bottle is almost empty. well seasoned. Kangaroo is a strongly flavoured meat Rice Pasty. and needs to be blended with other flavours. Use rice cooked in milk and sweetened Pork or bacon mixed with kangaroo to taste. make a good mixture. Mix with an egg and fill pasty. Carrot, onion, turnip and celery are all suitable vegetables. Windy Pasty. Parsley, mace, bay leaf, cloves, salt, Prepare an unfilled pasty and bake. pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, any While still hot, open out flat and fill of these could be added to the filling for each side with jam. flavouring.

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Please mention the "Journal ol Agriculture of WJL," when writing to advertisers Journal of Agriculture, Vol 2 No 4, 1961