Cheddar, Onion & Guinness Pasties

Directions

1. Make the pastry: Add flour and salt to a large mixing bowl, then rub in the cubes of butter and lard into the flour mix with your fingertips until combined. Add 180ml chilled water through with a spatula or wooden spoon, to bring the mix together into a rough ball. Turn the mix out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough feels soft and elastic.

2. Rest and chill the pastry: Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with clingfilm, then leave to rest in the fridge for 2 hours.

3. Caramelise the onions: Melt the unsalted butter in a pan and add the 3 sliced onions. Season with salt and fry on low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, golden and caramelised, about 20 minutes. Do not rush this step! The flavour of slowly caramelised onions is worth it.

4. Par-boil the cubed potatoes: In salted water for about 8 minutes, until they are just fork tender. You do not want to over cook them or they will turn to mush inside the pasties when they bake.

5. Make the cheese sauce: Melt the 25g of unsalted butter for the cheese sauce in a saucepan. Once melted, add in the 20g plain flour and whisk to make a smooth roux sauce base. Cook out the flour for about two minutes. Now add the grated cheddar into the pan and stir, then pour over the Guinness and milk and stir until there is a thickened, creamy consistency. Add in the paprika and the Worcestershire sauce, then taste and add in any salt and pepper, if necessary.

6. Combine the potatoes, onions and sauce: In a bowl, then set aside to chill until the pasties are ready to roll out.

7. Preheat the oven: To 190°C

8. Make the pasties: Take the chilled dough out of the fridge and cut it into six even pieces with a sharp knife. Then roll out each piece of dough until it is no more than 5mm thick. Cut out a circle that is about 18cm in diameter from each piece of dough (a side plate is normally this size, so that is what we used!)

9. Fill the pasties: Place two to three generous spoonfuls of filling into the centre of the circle, then fold the dough over to create the classic Cornish Pasty half-moon shape.

10. Crimp the pasties: Wet your finger in some tap water and draw a line around the edge of the pasty to stick together the dough. Move across the pastry folding the dough over your thumb, crimping the dough until the filling is fully sealed into the pasty and the characteristic rope-like crimp is visible in the pastry. Generously brush some of the beaten egg over the top of each pasty.

11. Bake the pasties: Place them on a parchment-lined baking tray, making sure each pasty isn’t touching any others, otherwise they can fuse in the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the pasties are golden and their bottoms are perfectly crisp.