Skip to content

Meat, European

Cornish pasties with green salad

A Cornish pasty is a pastry turnover filled with raw diced beef, potatoes and swede, baked until golden. This recipe serves 4, takes 90 minutes, rates medium difficulty, and costs €3.10 per serving. The trick is cutting everything raw into small cubes, so the filling cooks in its own juices inside the sealed pastry.

Tonight we're folding Cornish pasties, half moons stuffed with beef, potatoes and swede, served with a salad.

Cornish pasties with green salad
Total time
1 h 30
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.10
Calories per person
710 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

A Cornish pasty works the opposite way from a slow braised stew. Everything cooks at once, sealed inside the pastry, so the beef, potatoes and swede release their juices and flavor each other as they bake. You end up with a soft, savory filling under a crisp golden crust, with swede giving a gentle sweetness that carrots just don't have.

It's the kind of meal you want on a cold evening when you'd rather eat with your hands than fuss with a plate. Kids love the half moon shape and the crimped edge on top. Mon Chou likes this recipe because the pasty holds together on its own, tastes great warm, and only needs a simple salad alongside it.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • shortcrust pastry sheets 2
  • butter 30 g
  • egg 1

Butcher

  • beef skirt steak 400 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • potatoes 300 g
  • swede or turnip 200 g
  • onion 1
  • green salad 1

Pantry

  • olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • mustardoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the beef, potatoes, swede and onion into small cubes, season generously with salt and pepper.

    Season well, the pastry absorbs the salt, an under seasoned filling tastes bland.

  2. Cut four large circles out of the pastry using a plate as a template.

    Use a dessert plate about 20 centimeters across, that's the right size.

  3. Spread the filling over half of each circle, add a knob of butter, and dampen the edges with a little water.

    Don't overfill, the edges need room to seal properly.

  4. Fold the pastry into a half moon and crimp the edges into a crest, then brush with beaten egg.

    Fold the edge in small pleats, it's the traditional Cornish crest and it looks great.

  5. Bake at 190°C until the pasties are deeply golden. 50 min

    Place them on a hot baking sheet so the bottom doesn't stay pale.

  6. Make the salad with the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and serve it with the warm pasties.

    Let them cool for ten minutes before serving, the filling is very hot.

Our tips to get it right

  • Let the shortcrust pastry sit at room temperature for ten minutes before rolling it out, it folds more easily and won't crack at the crimp.
  • Cut the swede into smaller cubes than the potato, since it takes longer to cook through inside the sealed pastry.
  • If the edges tear while you're crimping, wet your fingers with a little water to reseal the pastry instead of adding more dough.

The variations

  • Swap the beef for diced lamb shoulder, a traditional choice in some parts of Cornwall.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with mushrooms and cooked lentils, keeping the potato and swede.
  • For a quicker, kid friendly version, cut smaller circles for mini pasties, they bake in about 30 minutes and are easy to eat by hand.

What to serve it with

  • Green salad with mustard vinaigrette
  • Pickles or gherkins
  • Hot black tea

Storage

Pasties keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. They freeze well, either baked or unbaked, reheat them in the oven to keep the crust crisp. Skip the microwave, it softens the pastry.

Questions about this dish

Can you make Cornish pasties ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble them the day before and keep them covered in the fridge. Brush with beaten egg just before baking for a nice golden color.

Can you replace the swede?

Turnip works well and keeps the same spirit as the traditional recipe. Avoid using carrot alone, it changes the taste of the filling too much.

Why cut the meat and vegetables raw?

Raw diced ingredients cook in their own juices inside the sealed pastry. That's what gives you a tender filling without precooking anything separately.

How do you keep the pastry from splitting while baking?

Don't overfill each circle, leave enough edge to crimp without stretching the dough. Place the pasties on a hot baking sheet so the bottom bakes evenly with the top.

How long does it take to make Cornish pasties with a green salad?

Count 1 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in Cornish pasties with a green salad?

About 710 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Cornish pasties with a green salad cost?

About €3.10 per serving, or €12.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs, mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

European Cuisines

See all

Beef recipes

See all