Pastry: 280g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 egg yolk, 140g salted butter and 8 tbsp cold water.
Rub the chilled butter into the flour with the baking powder and egg yolk until you have a mixture like breadcrumbs. Add the water a little at a time and stir with a metal knife until it comes together in a ball. form into a smooth ball, wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge to chill. This made two large pasties but you can double the quantity of pastry if you wish.
I diced 500g beef skirt mixed with diced carrot, diced swede, chopped onion and a potato that had been diced then par-boiled for about 4 minutes. I added 1 tsp Maldon sea salt and 1 tbsp black peppercorns that had been cracked using a pestle and mortar. We both like our pasty to have a fair peppery kick. Chef's tip: Don't stab yourself in the fingers whilst telling your significant other the "go away...you're being a pest!" Grrrrr!
I cut the pastry ball into two, rolled each out the the size of a dinner plate and filled generously with the meat & vegetable mixture. I attempted a crimp around one edge (which I was quite proud of!) placed them on baking paper, brushed liberally with beaten egg and popped them on a pre-heated pizza stone in a pre-heated 350 deg F egg.
Adie had soaked a few chunks of hickory so these went onto the coals just as we put the pasties in to cook. We checked them after 40 minutes and then took them off the paper to crisp up the pastry base for 10 minutes.
They are not perfect but they tasted amazing and we'll definately be doing them again! Our little nod to Cornwall!
