About the Recipe
Delicious cheesy vegetable vegan inspired pasty to eat on a picnic.
Ingredients
40g unsalted butter
1 medium brown onion, finely diced
1 medium waxy potato (about 250g), cut into 1cm dice
200g cheddar, grated (we used half hafod, half montgomery’s, but anything strong and sharp will do)
2-3 tbsp double cream (optional)
For the pastry
300g plain flour, plus extra to dust
1 tsp salt
200g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 medium free-range egg, lightly beaten
40ml milk
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze
You’ll also need
Large baking tray lined with compostable baking paper
Preparation
To make the pastry, put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub in the cubed butter between your thumbs and forefingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg, milk, and vinegar using a table knife. Using your hands, work the mixture until it comes together to form a dough – it should be soft but not sticky. Shape the dough into a ball on a flour-dusted work surface, flatten into a disc and cover in cling film. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest (see Make Ahead).
For the filling, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, covered for 10 minutes until softened. Stir regularly and add a little water if they start to look dry. Add the potato to the onions and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6. Divide the pastry into 4 equal pieces. Roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface to form a circle roughly 4-5mm thick (keep the rest of the pastry wrapped in the fridge).
Stir the cheddar and cream (if using) through the cooled potato mixture, season with a good pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper (you want the mix to be heavily seasoned). Pile a quarter of the cooled filling on one half of the pastry, leaving a 3cm border around the edge. Brush the edges with a little beaten egg, then fold the other half over and press to enclose the filling. Crimp the edges of the pastry and place on a large, lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling. Brush the pasties with the egg, poke with a fork so steam can escape, then bake for 25-30 minutes until golden (see Make Ahead)
Serve the pasties, hot from the oven with chips and baked beans, or your favourite pickle if you like.
Helpful Tips:
To make the pastry in a food processor, at step 1, put the flour, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor and whizz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the milk and white wine vinegar and stop as soon as it comes together in a rough dough. For an extra golden pastry, you can carefully glaze the pasties again at the 20 minute mark then pop back in the oven for the final 5-10 minutes of cooking time. Montgomery cheddar is not a vegetarian cheese but there are plenty of vegetarian cheddars available to use instead.
The pastry can be made in advance. Keep well wrapped in the fridge for 1-2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature then proceed with the recipe from step 2. Cooked pasties will keep for several days, stored in an airtight container. Reheat in a low over for 10-15 minutes until piping hot and crispy. Open freeze the uncooked pasties on a tray for 1-2 hours, then pack into freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook from frozen, cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.
The pastry needs to be cold and the filling fully cooled before you begin to assemble the pasties. Keep the pastry wrapped in the fridge, taking one piece out at a time to assemble.