Cornish pasty
A traditional Cornish pasty recipe featuring tender beef, potatoes, rutabaga, and onion encased in perfectly crimped golden pastry - hearty, rustic, and baked to perfection.
Updated : 08 October, 2025
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
For the pastry
500 grams
Flour
120 grams
Lard
1 teaspoon
Salt
25 grams
Margarine
175 milliliters
Water
1
Eggs
For the filling
350 grams
Beef steak
350 grams
Potato
200 grams
Rutabaga
175 grams
Onion
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
piece
Butter
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Tip the flour into a bowl and add the lard, a pinch of salt, the margarine and all of the water. Gently mix with a spoon, then use your hands to bring everything together into a fairly dry dough.
Step 2
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface - there’s no need to flour or oil it. Knead the dough vigorously for about 5-6 minutes, stretching it with the heel of your hand, rolling it back into a ball, turning, and repeating until smooth and glossy. If the dough feels grainy, continue kneading until the lard breaks down. Wrap the finished dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, prepare the filling by dicing the potato, rutabaga, onion, and beef into 1cm/½in cubes. Combine in a bowl, season generously with salt and black pepper, and set aside.
Step 4
Lightly grease a baking tray with margarine and line it with baking or silicone paper. Preheat the oven to 170C.
Step 5
Once the dough has rested, remove it from the fridge and divide into four equal pieces. Roll each into a 25cm/10in disc, about the size of a dinner plate. Spoon a quarter of the filling onto one half of each disc, leaving the other half clear, and place a knob of butter or margarine on top of the filling.
Step 6
Fold the pastry over, pressing along the edge to seal. Crimp securely, either with a fork or by making small traditional twists - around 20 crimps per pasty is standard. Tuck the end corners underneath to hold in the filling.
Step 7
Arrange the pasties on the prepared tray and brush the tops with a beaten egg and salt mixture. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden-brown. If the pasties are slow to brown, increase the temperature by 10C/25F for the final 10 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy a true Cornish classic.