Vegetarian mains
Leek and smoked cheddar pasties with dressed salad leaves and chutney
The trick to good pastry is to chill it after every roll. You'll need to let the filling cool before filling the pastry or the heat will make it soft and unmanageable. Ideally you would make the filling the day before and chill it.
Cook's notes
I almost have to insist that you crimp it the Devon way (along the top of the pasty) as opposed to the Cornish way (along the side). The choice is, of course, yours.
Ingredients
- 1 pack puff pastry
- 2 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
- 300g potatoes
- 2 leeks
- 25g butter
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 egg
- 100g smoked cheddar
- 50g mixed salad leaves
- 3 tbsp Doverhouse chutney
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Start by unrolling the pastry and cutting it into equal rectangular half's. Dust the work surface and the rolling pin with a little flour and roll each one out into a square, roughly 25cm by 25cm. Trim away the corners to form rough circular shapes. Pop back into the fridge to rest.
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Step 2
Peel the potato, and cut into small, even, 1cm cubes. Place into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Season the water with a pinch of salt and bring up to a boil. Boil for 6-8 minutes, until nearly cooked.
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Step 3
Drain, put the potatoes to one side and give the pan a quick clean. While the potatoes cook, prepare your leek. Cut away the root end and the dark leafy tops. Cut in half lengthways and slice into 1cm pieces. Wash them well to remove any dirt or grit.
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Step 4
When the potatoes have cooked, heat the butter in the same saucepan and gently cook the leeks for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften but not colour. Remove the leeks from the heat. Add the potatoes, mustard and thyme to the pan. Cool for 10 minutes.
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Step 5
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 8. Crack the egg in a small bowl and whisk it with a fork until well beaten. Grate the smoked cheddar. Add the grated cheddar to the leeks, mix together and season with salt and pepper to your taste.
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Step 6
Divide the mix into 2 and remove the pastry from the fridge. Spoon the mix into the middle of each pastry circle. Brush some beaten egg around the edges of the pastry. Lift the edges up and crimp them together with your thumb and forefinger until they are well-sealed and you have a classic pasty shape.
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Step 7
Place them on the baking tray and brush with the rest of the egg wash. Cook for 10 minutes at 220°C/Gas Mark 8. Then drop to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and cook for a further 15 minutes, until golden brown and piping hot. While the pasties cook, wash, drain and dry half the bag of mixed salad leaves.
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Step 8
Serve the warm pasties with the salad and a dollop of Doverhouse chutney.
