Homemade Cheese and Pork Pasty with Peas

Pasties are hugely popular in the UK, from the Cornish Pasty in the far south-west, to the Forfar Bridie in the moderately far up north-east, different types are eaten daily by the million. It is a great shame, however, in many ways, that people as a rule don't tend to appreciate the versatility of pasties and the number of different pasty fillings which can be incorporated in the basic recipe. Just like with pies, pasty fillings are restricted only by the cook's imagination. This simple idea for a less than common pasty filling recipe will hopefully inspire you to come up with some tasty ideas of your own.

Ingredients (Serves Two)

8oz minced/ground pork
1/2 tsp dried sage
Salt and white pepper
Plain/all purpose flour for rolling pastry
8oz puff pastry
2oz grated cheddar cheese
Beaten egg for glazing
Butter for greasing baking tray
Frozen peas as required

Directions

Add the pork to a bowl and season with the salt, pepper and sage. Mix well to evenly distribute the seasoning. Roll out the pastry on a clean, dry, lightly floured surface to an approximate square of just over thirteen inches. Use a large, thirteen inch dinner plate as a template to cut a circle in the pastry.

Spread the pork as shown over half the pastry, leaving a border of about an inch around the edge for folding and crimping.

Scatter the cheese evenly over the top of the pork and lightly press down to keep it in place while you are folding the pastry.

Glaze around the inch wide border of the filled pasty half with beaten egg and carefully fold the empty pastry half over the top.

Crimp the border of the pasty all the way around, ensuring it is sealed but without over-stretching the pastry.

Sit the pasty on a baking tray lightly greased with butter. Glaze it all over with more beaten egg and make a one inch slit in the centre to allow steam to vent during cooking. Place the tray in to your oven, preheated to 400F/200C, for about thirty-five minutes or until the pastry is a deep golden colour.

It is important to enjoying it at its best that you leave the pasty to sit on the baking tray for ten or fifteen minutes to rest when you take it from the oven. The latter part of this period should be used to cook your frozen peas, per the instructions on the packet.

Carefully cut the pasty in half and serve immediately with the hot peas alongside.

Sausages, Egg and Beans on Farmhouse Toast

Beans on toast may be a very popular lunch dish but it is not usually particularly imaginative. This simple idea is not only beans on toast taken a little bit further, it makes for a more substantial meal. If you are looking for more tasty, alternative ways of serving baked beans, you may want to check out the link provided at the end of this post.

Ingredients per Person

3 beef link sausages
8oz can of baked beans in tomato sauce
1 egg
1" thick slice of farmhouse bread
1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 or 5 basil leaves to garnish

Directions

The sausages will take the longest to cook so the first step is to get them in to the frying pan. Add the vegetable oil to a non-stick frying pan, followed by the sausages. Do not prick the sausages; instead, fry on a very low heat for about twenty minutes, turning occasionally.
 

The egg in this instance is going to be poached off the heat and will take about eight to ten minutes, depending upon how softly poached you want it to be. Bring a pot of water (also containing the white wine vinegar) up to a rolling boil. Break the egg in to a small cup or bowl. Lift the pot off the heat to a chopping board and stir fairly rapidly to form a whirlpool. Slowly and carefully pour the egg in to the vortex (centre) and leave it alone to cook. You will be able to watch the albumen wrapping around the yolk, this process helped by the addition of the vinegar.
 

If you prefer to poach your egg in the traditional fashion, the short video below will help you out with some tips.



Put the baked beans in to a small saucepan and on to a medium heat. Cut a thick slice from a farmhouse loaf and toast on both sides.

Lay the toast on a plate, ready to receive the remaining ingredeitns.

The beans shouldn't take long to heat and should carefully be spooned first on to the toast.

Lift the sausages carefully from the frying pan with a pair of cooking tongs. This makes the process much easier than trying to use a spatula. Sit them on top of the baked beans.

Carefully lift the egg from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon and give it a few seconds to drain properly. Lay it on top of the sausages.

The basil leaves should be sat one on top of another and rolled before being finely sliced and scattered over the egg immediately before service.

This is just one way of making baked beans a more interesting meal inclusion. If you are looking for further ideas and inspiration, why not take a look at the site linked to below?

Baked Beans Recipes and Different Ways to Serve Baked Beans