Traditional Cornish Pasty a British Food Icon

The traditional Cornish Pasty dates back to the 13th century and is a pie that squeezes a great deal from pastry, beef, swede and potatoes!

Whether you serve them for dinner or stick them in your lunchbox, these treats are the ultimate British pie!

Homemade Cornish Pasties

Cornish Pasties date back to the 13th century and unsurprisingly are the source of much discussion, when I say discussion, I mean argument!

However, to call this dish famous in the UK would be an understatement.

Any foodstuff name-checked in classics like the Robin Hood Chronicles, the Canterbury Tales and no less than three works of Shakespeare is no shrinking violet.

In short, the humble Cornish pasty is nothing more than a ‘hand pie’ as I see them called on the web in some nations. The filling is with four very good things and some salt and pepper.

Those four things are Potato, Onion, Swede (rutabaga elsewhere) and finally beef. It is then seasoned and wrapped in a pastry.

Traditionally, the food of Cornish ‘miners’, if rumour is to be believed. The crimped crust serves as a handhold and was discarded, because, well, mucky hands of course.

I’ll leave you with one final bit of pasty trivia. A pasty crimped by a left-handed person is called a cock pasty, and a pasty crimped by a right-handed pasty is a hen pasty, because… Well, because nobody knows, but do some digging and you will find plenty of Pasty folklore!

Frequently Asked Questions

What pastry should I use?

Without reservation, I recommend making your own pastry for a Cornish pasty.

Shortcrust pastry is used for a traditional Cornish Pasty. Mixing half butter and half beef dripping is the perfect mix as far as I am concerned. It is simple, and all you have to do is work cold and use a food processor.

Can I use store-bought pastry?

You can. Store-bought shortcrust pastry is pretty good, but the sizes of packets are not ideal. However, you can freeze the leftover pastry and use it at a later date.

What cut of beef should I use?

Traditionally, skirt or flank is used as the filling for Cornish pasties; however, I have used both rump and sirloin in the past, and it works just fine.

Some recipes suggest using turnip and not swede. What is traditional?

This is often confusing for the simple fact that a swede is a turnip, but not all turnips are swedes.

Traditionally, the yellow-fleshed turnip, aka swede or rutabaga, is used; however, in Cornwall (and other places in the UK), a swede is just called a turnip.

Does the type of potato make a difference?

Yes, the potatoes for a Cornish pasty should be waxy so that they hold their form and texture. However, I must confess that I do have a weakness for occasionally using a floury potato like King Edwards or Maris Piper.

How to Crimp a Pasty

Crimping pasties may seem tricky, but with a bit of practice, it is quite easy. Here is a visual guide on how I do it. The images are from my Cheese and Onion Pasty recipe, but the process is identical:

1: Fill the centre of the pastry with your filling, leaving around 25mm (1″) at the edges, then brush the edge with water. Using your finger is the easiest way to do this.

2: Fold over the pastry to form a half-moon shape.

3: Press the edges to form a seal.

4: Pick up the pasty in your “dominant” hand with one end of the half-moon shape pointed at you. Take the corner of the pastry between your thumb and forefinger with your thumb at the top, and fold the pastry over at a 45° angle.

5: Move along the pastry and repeat the process. But this time, squeeze to seal and pull back the finger at the bottom of the pastry to form a lobe, then fold over to create the crimp.

6: Repeat this process, working around the pastry, turning as you go so that your hand stays in the same position.

7: When you get to the end, fold the final crimp under the pasty.

Serving Suggestions

I'd usually munch on a Cornish pasty for lunch and maybe add a big dollop of piccalilli or some other type of chutney or pickle.

However, as a kid, I would have them with chips... yes, more potatoes and baked beans, and I love it.

They are also fantastic as part of a picnic, throw in a couple of scotch eggs, a couple of corned beef pasties or some cheese and bacon turnovers and some salad, and you are laughing.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Oven.
• Baking tray.
• Mixing bowl.
• Chopping board.
• Kicthen knife.
• Vegetable peeler.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
• Food processor to make the pastry, you can do this by hand if you wish.
• Cling film.