A Proper (Vegan) Cornish Pasty with a flaky, buttery, rough puff pastry filled with tender veggies enveloped in a rich, thick, flavoursome sauce. GURT LUSH.
As a Cornish lass if there is one thing I know, it’s a proper pasty.
I’ve sampled many (and I mean MANY) pasties over my lifetime. My favourite as a child was a cheese and onion variety from a busy independent bakery in my local town. They served up monster pasties that could easily feed you and your mum, and leave you with a nub leftover for an afternoon snack.
Most recently, and in fact the inspiration for this recipe, came hands-down the most delicious pasty I’ve ever eaten. EVER. Even from my pre-vegan days. Quite controversially it came from a little pasty shop in Lyme Regis, which is in Dorset (I know, shocker) but we’ll assume the cook was Cornish.
It had the perfect pastry – flaky and buttery; a rough puff of sorts, but it was the filling that blew my mind. So much so that the HB and I took a bite of our pasties at the same time and looked at each other wide-eyed in astonishment.
It had all the classics that make up a traditional vegetable pasty – potato, swede and onion, but rather than the dry interior that many veggie pasties suffer from, it had a rich, thick, flavoursome sauce enveloping the tender vegetables. It was a thing of wonder. Or ‘Gurt Lush’ as we say down in this neck of the woods.
I have tried, tested and perfected my re-creation of that glorious pasty and I’m mighty proud to present my Proper (Vegan) Cornish Pasties. They are:
Buttery and flaky
Filled to the brim with tender, hearty veggies
With a moreish, rosemary and thyme-infused gravy
PURE PASTY PERFECTION. Enjoy!
I have no doubt that you will LOVE this recipe – be sure to tag me on Instagram when you make it @aveganvisit 🙂
The Video Recipe:
The Written Recipe:
A Proper (Vegan) Cornish Pasty
Ingredients
For the rough-puff pastry:
- 500 g strong white bread flour (*see note)
- 2 tsp salt
- 400 g vegetable shortening (**see note)
- 150 ml water (ice cold)
For the filling:
- 200 g potato (peeled and diced into 1cm cubes)
- 100 g swede (peeled and diced into 1cm cubes (aka yellow freshed rutabaga))
- 75 g mushroom (chopped)
- 75 g onion (peeled and diced)
- 8 tsp dairy free margarine
For the gravy:
- 200 ml vegetable stock
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp onion granules
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1.5 tsp soy sauce
- 20 g cornflour
- 3 tbsp water
To glaze:
- 2 tbsp dairy free milk
Instructions
To make the rough-puff pastry:
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.500 g strong white bread flour, 2 tsp salt
- Using a knife, cut the vegetable shortening into small chunks into the bowl. Rub it loosely into the flour; you want to see chunks of shortening throughout, you don’t want to work it into breadcrumbs.400 g vegetable shortening
- Make a well in the mixture and pour in the ice cold water. Mix it for a minute or two until you have a rough dough.150 ml water
- Cover your pastry and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
- Once your pastry has chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it in one direction until it is a rectangular shape, roughly 20 x 50 cm (8" x 20").
- Note: Don’t overwork the dough, you want to have a marble effect with visible streaks of the vegetable shortening running through it.
- Position the dough rectangle in a portrait orientation in front of you.
- Imagine the rectangle in thirds; fold the top third down to centre, then fold the bottom third up over it. Please see the recipe video for a visual demonstration.
- Turn the dough a quarter turn to the left.
- Roll it out to around three times its length and then fold it again as you did before – the top third over to the centre and then the bottom third up over it.
- Cover the dough and place it back into the refrigerator for 1.5 hours.
- Note: The chilling time is important because it prevents the pastry from becoming too greasy and/or tough, so don't be tempted to shorten or skip these steps.
To make the gravy:
- Whilst your dough is chilling, make the gravy. Combine the gravy ingredients into a small saucepan and warm until it has reduced and become thick, whisking constantly.200 ml vegetable stock, 3/4 tsp garlic powder, 3/4 tsp onion granules, 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1.5 tsp soy sauce, 20 g cornflour, 3 tbsp water
- Once it has thickened, take your gravy off of the heat and leave to cool. As it cools it will develop a jelly-like consistency which will make it easier to add to your pasties.
To make the pasties:
- Preheat your oven to 190°C fan (210°C conventional / 425°F / gas mark 7).
- Once your pastry has finished chilling for the final time, roll it out, fold it and turn it as you did before and then roll it to around 1cm (1/2") thick and use a small side plate (approx 18 cm / 7") as a guide to cut out four circles. If you want monster pasties, use a dinner plate (approx 25 cm / 10") to cut out 2 large circles.
- Being careful not to overfill your pasties, add your mixed vegetables on one half of each circle, add three teaspoons of the cold gravy over the top of the vegetables (evenly spaced) and 2 teaspoons of dairy free margarine per pasty. Add six teaspoons of the gravy if you're making monster pasties.200 g potato, 100 g swede, 75 g mushroom, 75 g onion, 8 tsp dairy free margarine
- Brush a little water or dairy free milk around the edges of the pastry and fold it over. Crimp the edges by folding them over slightly. Please see the recipe video for a demonstration.2 tbsp dairy free milk
- Cut three air holes in the top of each pasty and brush the top with the dairy free milk.
- Put your pasties straight into the hot oven and cook for 40-50 minutes depending on the size you’ve decided to make. They should be ready when they are golden all over, including the base. Be careful – they'll be very hot inside!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Tara! I’m taking you on a trip around the world in vegan cuisine and bringing the world’s most delicious dishes to your kitchen.
