Meat and pastry is a hale and hearty combination and this rich beef pasty recipe is a winner. This is a good recipe to freeze.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- ¼ swede, chopped into small cubes
- 500g good-quality beef mince
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 heaped tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large potato, cut into small cubes
- 200ml Guinness or stout
- 200ml beef stock, hot
- 150g frozen peas
- 2 x 500g blocks all-butter puff pastry
- 1 medium free-range egg, beaten, for brushing
Method
- 1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based sauté pan. Add the onion, carrot and swede, season well and fry over a medium heat until softened and slightly coloured. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- 2. Add the mince to the pan and fry over a high heat until golden brown and cooked through. Add the tomato purée and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and fry for another minute. Turn down the heat to medium-low and add the tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, potato, Guinness and stock. Stir, season well and bring to the boil.
- 3. Return the onion, carrot and swede to the pan, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is tender and the sauce is thick. Stir through the peas until defrosted and season to taste. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
- 4. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out 8 x 20cm circles using the base of a 20cm cake tin as a guide. Divide the cooled beef mixture among the 8 pastry circles, piling it along the middle. Brush the perimeter of the circles with beaten egg. Bring up the pastry circles from either side to meet in the middle, then pinch together to make a crimped, scalloped edge down the centre. Make 2 slits with a sharp knife on either side of the ridge so that the steam can escape through the pastry during cooking, then brush all over with beaten egg.
- 5. Open-freeze the pasties on a baking tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container with strips of baking paper in between, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- 6. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Bake the pasties from frozen, on a hot baking sheet, for 25 minutes until golden brown and piping hot. Serve immediately with peas and creamy mash.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 668kcals, 38.8g fat (17.1g saturated), 25.1g protein, 58.7g carbs, 6.8g sugar, 1.4g salt
Chef's tip
To cook without freezing, place the pasties on a baking sheet after step 4 and chill for 20 minutes until firm. Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and well risen.