The traditional Cornish pasty, which has Protected Geographical Identification; (PGI) status in Europe, is filled with beef skirt, sliced or diced potato, swede (also known as a yellow turnip or rutabaga – referred to in Cornwall as turnip) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and is baked. Today, the pasty is the food most associated with Cornwall, it is regarded as the National Dish, and it 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The origins of the pasty are unclear, though there are many references to them throughout historical documents and fiction.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; (Tiddy Oggie), the United States; (Pastie),Mexico, Spain; (Empanada), and elsewhere.
Source: Wikipedia.
This recipe is for 4 good sized Cornish Pasties
METHOD
Pastry
Mix fat lightly into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add water and beat in a food mixer until pastry clears and becomes elastic. This will take longer than normal pastry but it gives the pastry the strength that is needed to hold the filling and retain a good shape.
Leave to rest for 3 hours in a refrigerator, this is a very important stage as it is almost impossible to roll and shape the pastry when fresh
Chop, slice into tiny slivers or even dice the above finely then add to the rolled out circles of pastry raw. Layer the vegetables and meat, ( I tend to flour my beefskirt to add a "gravy juice" when baked) adding plenty of seasoning. Put your dollop of cream or a knob of butter on top. Then bring the pastry around and crimp together. Try practicing on a potato first or just flatten like a turnover and mark with a fork. Crimping is the secret to a true Cornish pasty but it really has to be taught it is almost impossible to describe.
Once assembled, glaze with milk or preferably a beaten egg, leave to "chill" in the fridge for an hour. Preheat oven, take the buggers out of the fridge, glaze again if you wish; this gives them that extra shine, but is truly optional).
There is a great debate as to what is a turnip. To the rest of the country they are swedes but in Cornwall we insist that the round yellow vegetable is a turnip!! Never attempt to add carrot, this is sacrilege and should be punishable by decapitation.
Use a cut of BEEF called skirt. This is the underside of the belly of the animal. It's juice produces wonderful gravy, has no fat or gristle and cooks in the same amount of time as the raw vegetables.
Butter or cream gives the pasty that extra richness.