Pastie Season

Pasties are something that I always associate cooler weather. They are a great light meal and make a delicious lunch served with a bowl of home made soup. This version makes a juicy and flavoursome style with plenty of vegetables. I prefer to grate the vegetables as this makes them cook quicker and the mixture easier to mould into the pastry and it is also a good way of disguising lots of vegetables.  Use vegetables that you like, however better flavour is achieved by using the swede and turnip. Dice the vegetables into small pea sized pieces if you like a chunky filling. These freeze well and I make them in a variety of sizes and if  making a lot I make my own shortcrust pastry.

Pasties
makes 6 large pasties
300 g approx of minced beef
3 tablespoons oat bran
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
1 carrot
1 small piece of pumpkin
2 -3 sticks celery
1 potato
1 swede
1 turnip
1 onion
1 -2 tablepoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 packet puff pastry sheets or shortcrust sheets
egg for egg wash

Assemble vegetables, wash, peel and grate.

Combine meat, egg, oatbran, stock powder and pepper in a large bowl.








Add grated vegetables and parsley. Mix really well, it is easier to use your hands.

Cut out pastry circles, I use a large saucepan lid as a guide to cut around.

Place a generous amount of filling onto the pastry circle.
 Moisten edges with a little water but do not make too wet.

Enclose filling and shape pastie with the join on the top (left) or fold over flat into a semi circle (right)

Fold edges over twice, decorate with skewer and pierce 2 -3 times  to create steam holes.

Place on tray .
Glaze with egg wash
Bake at 200 deg C for 10 minutes, reduce heat and continue cooking until golden brown.

Serve when cooked or place pasties onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before refrigerating or freezing.




  
The Gadget

I have this great gadget for making the very small pasties. I purchased a set of three in different sizes from a cookware shop, the largest is the one I used for the small pasties in the picture above. The smaller ones I use to make dim sims or bite sized curry puffs.





The Process

Cut out the pastry circles and then place the pastry circle in the gadget.

Place a small amount of filling onto the pastry, do not overfill and then fold shut. Trim away excess pastry if necessary.

Remove from the gadget, place on tray and pierce  2-3 times, Glaze with egg wash and bake. This size pastie are good for small children or with soup.





No Waste

Patch the off cuts of pastry together to create another piece for a pastie








or

Squeeze the pastry scraps into a ball and then roll out.

Cut pastry into pieces about the size of a playing card.

Place on tray, glaze with egg wash and bake until puffed and golden brown.







Split the pastry shapes, fill with jam and whipped cream, dust with icing sugar.