Great Britain: Vegetarian Pasties
The pasty (pronounced "PASS-tee"), is of Cornish origin, apparently popular with miners who would take the handy parcel to work with them in the mines. Common pasty fillings include traditional combinations like diced beef, potato, swede (rutabaga), and onion seasoned with salt and pepper. Vegetarian options often feature cheese, potato, onion, and assorted vegetables such as spinach or mushrooms, seasoned with herbs and spices.
This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver and has a couple of good tricks to give it a delicious and satisfying filling, such as tearing instead of slicing the mushrooms as well as “sweating” them in salt to create a chewy meaty texture, additionally, he directs you to slice the other vegetables into consistent “coin” sized pieces so that they all bake at the same time as the pastry for a perfectly cooked filling.
Served with a fresh crunchy salad and a good mustard, these are filling and so so satisfying.
Hope you make and eat something delicious for this year’s British Grand Prix!
Vegetarian Pasties
Pasties
3 ½ cups (17 oz/ 500g) strong flour (bread flour), plus extra for dusting
2 sticks (8 oz/ 50g) unsalted butter, (cold)
3/4 cup (200ml) cold water
1 pound (500g) mixed mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
2 teaspoons (10g) salt - to sweat the mushrooms
7 oz (200g) swede (rutabaga), approximately 1 medium
15 oz (400g) potatoes, approximately 1 large or 2 medium
1 medium yellow onion
1 pinch of dried rosemary or two sprigs fresh rosemary chopped finely
1 large egg
Watercress and Apple Salad
1 bunch watercress
1 green apple
1 sweet red apple
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Good mustard, to serve
In large bowl, combine the flour with a pinch of salt. Chop the cold butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center, slowly pour in 3/4 cup (about 200ml) of cold water, and mix until a dough forms. Pat it into a ball, wrap in clingfilm, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Tear* the mushrooms into a medium bowl, sprinkle over 2 teaspoons salt (most will drain away later). Mix well and let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. *You want to tear the mushrooms to create uneven craggy pieces as this will add to the texture of the filling.
After 30 minutes, the mushrooms should feel quite soft and moist. Squeeze them firmly to remove as much salty liquid as possible.
Peel the swede (rutabaga), potatoes, and onion. Slice them into small pieces about the size and thickness of a quarter or pound coin (depending on where you are in the world).
Combine the vegetables with the mushrooms in a bowl. Add the rosemary and a few generous pinches of black pepper.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Divide the pastry dough into 8 portions. On a clean, floured surface, roll each portion into a round about 8 inches (20cm) in diameter.
Divide the filling among the pastry rounds, placing it on one side of the center, leaving about a 1-inch (2.5cm) border around the edges.
Lightly brush the exposed pastry edges with beaten egg. Fold the pastry over the filling and press the edges down firmly. Use your fingers and thumbs to crimp and seal the edges.
Brush the tops of the pastries with more beaten egg. Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
Once the pasties complete baking, remove from oven and allow to cool. In the meantime make the watercress and apple salad. Mix the vinegar and olive oil in a large bowl. Cut the apples into thin matchsticks and add to the bowl, remove large or woody stems from watercress and tear into bite-size pieces, add to the bowl and toss everything together gently.
Serve the pasties with a side of watercress and apple salad, and a dollop of good mustard.
Adapted from Jamie Oliver - if you like video recipes, he has a nice short, easy-to-follow one for this recipe.
He has written a few good vegetarian cookbooks over the last few years which are great resources for recipes to cook for the GP in Great Britain!