Leek and cheddar pasties
A pasty, sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top to form a seal. The result is a raised semicircular package.
The traditional Cornish pasties, which have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in Europe, is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, swede (also known as a yellow turnip or rutabaga) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and is baked. Today, the pasty is the food most associated with Cornwall regarded as its national dish, and accounts for 6% of the Cornish food economy. Pasties with many different fillings are made; some shops specialise in selling all sorts of pasties.
The origins of the pasty are unclear, though there are many references to them throughout historical documents and fiction. The pasty is now popular world-wide due to the spread of Cornish miners, and variations can be found in Australia, the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.
Memories of Cornish pasties filled with all sorts of comforting fillings have inspired me to combine flavours from the garden with flavours from the paddock encased in flaky puff pastry – what else can I say?
Leek and cheddar pasties
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 x 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry or roll your own
300g leeks
40g butter
2 tsp clear honey
1 Tbsp Dijon or grain mustard
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
200g tasty cheddar
1 medium egg, beaten
Method
Spread out the puff pastry on a floured surface and cut out six discs, each with a diameter of 12cm (a saucer or side plate works well). Chill these discs while you make the filling.
Trim and wash the leeks and slice thinly. Melt the butter in a pan over moderate heat and fry the leeks until soft but not coloured (about 10 minutes). Stir in the honey, mustard and rosemary, season to taste and leave to cool.
Crumble in the cheese and mix to combine.
Preheat the oven to 200degC.
Lay six discs of pastry on a baking tray and divide the leek mixture evenly between them, placing the mixture to one side (which will enable you to fold them over) spooning it into a neat mound. Leave a rim of about 1cm.
Lightly brush the border with beaten egg and fold over the half of pastry which had no filling.
Crimp the edges of the pasties together to seal, either with your fingers or by pressing down with a fork. Cut two little slits on the top of the pastry to allow for steam. Brush lightly with beaten egg and continue with remaining discs until finished.
Place the pasties on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and is golden.
Serve and enjoy.
• Alison Lambert, chef at the Otago Farmers Market, will be demonstrating this recipe at the market on Saturday morning.
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