Curried Cauliflower and Potato Pasties

These pasties are as wholesome eaten cold as they are hot and a great picnic item to take on a day out. They rarely make it as far as my picnic basket, though, as I’m forever eating them piping hot out of the oven – they’re the main reason why I constantly have a burnt mouth. Add just a spoonful of mango chutney from a jar on the side for complete perfection.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

800g hot water crust pastry (recipe follows)
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for brushing
mango chutney, to serve
sea salt

For the filling

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 Spanish onion, peeled and thinly sliced
500g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
30g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 whole cauliflower, cut into florets
½ lime

Instructions

To make the filling, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for 10–15 minutes until just starting to colour. Add the potatoes, garlic, ginger, chillies and spices, and cook for a further 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes and 100ml of water. Simmer for a further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220°C fan/240°C/gas mark 9.

Rub the cauliflower florets all over with the remaining oil and scatter across a roasting tray. Place the tray in the preheated oven and roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes until softened and coloured.

Lower the oven temperature to 200°C fan/220°C/gas mark 7.

Add the cauliflower to the potato mixture, squeeze in the juice of half a lime, season to taste and then set aside to cool.

Divide the pastry dough into four equal balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to a 1cm thick circle. Divide the filling mixture equally between the pastry discs, spooning it onto one half of each disc. Fold over the other half of each pastry disc to cover the filling and crimp the edges together.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the pasties on the lined tray, brush the surface of the pastry all over with the egg wash and add a sprinkle of sea salt. Place the tray in the hot oven and bake the pasties for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve either while still warm or at room temperature with a spoonful of mango chutney.

Hot Water Crust Pastry

Traditionally used to encase cold pork pies, hot water crust pastry is one of the oldest British pie dough recipes. With early origins showing ingredients as just flour and hot water, it was likely in the Medieval times that it developed into what we now more closely know: flour, hot water and lard. It would have been used to make huge pies for banquets, encasing goose, venison and whole swans. Over time this pastry technique has changed little; it is still worked with while hot as it firms up as it cools. In The Pie Room, however, we have worked hard at adapting the traditional recipe to form a slightly lighter, crispier crust, that is fresh with the flavour of herbs and that can be worked with at a cooler room temperature and even used again after refrigeration.

Makes 1kg

Ingredients

200ml water
160g lard
2 rosemary sprigs
10g salt
500g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten

Instructions

Combine the water, lard, rosemary and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and wait for the lard to melt fully, then turn off the heat and allow to infuse.

Sift the flour into a bowl. Using either a round-bladed knife or the paddle attachment of a mixer, start to work on a medium speed. Add the egg and mix until thoroughly dispersed through the flour – this will take 2–3 minutes.

Remove the rosemary from the pan with a fork and then bring the water and fat mix to a boil. Slowly pour onto the flour and egg mix, scraping the bowl and paddle halfway through to prevent any lumps from forming. Mix for 2–3 minutes until well combined.

Allow the dough to cool on a tray between parchment paper until the heat has dissipated and then chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator before using.

This hot water crust pastry dough can be kept for up to three days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer. If freezing, weigh out the dough into the quantities needed for individual recipes – it will take less time to thaw and you won’t be potentially wasting any dough. To use the dough from the freezer, allow it to come back to refrigerator temperature overnight.