How to Make Homemade Vegan Pasties
Around 6% of Cornish income is from selling Cornish pasties, and of course they are popular nationwide across England. A bit like champagne in France, you can’t sell a Cornish pasty, unless it’s made in Cornwall. But here’s where it all gets a bit daft.
The Cornish pasty was originally invented for miners, made with half-meat and half-fruit. The idea was (just as Scottish wives invented ‘porridge slabs’ for crofters) that it was filling portable lunch. The crimped edge was so that miners could easily hold it with their hands. Then as that bit was too dirty to eat, it was ‘thrown to the ghosts’ in the mines.
Today, the modern Cornish pasty is very different. It’s made from a base of beef mince with swede, potato and onion (no carrot apparently – that’s like putting pineapple on an Italian pizza!) But here is really where any ‘proper pasty ends’.
Even local ‘artisan’ pasties use palm oil in the pastry. So that means deforestation in Indonesia that is threatening habitats of endangered orangutans, and Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants. It’s not ‘local’ (it’s a cheap saturated fat shipped thousands of miles away, as companies won’t use rapeseed oil to support British farmers).
The meat is nearly always (in supermarket and high street versions anyway) from factory farms, where animals suffer appalling abuse. If you eat meat, the only label to trust is ‘certified free-range). Saying meat is ‘British’ or carries Red Tractor or RSPCA assurance is not good enough.
Then the pasties are wrapped in plastic.
But get this. When one woman created ‘vegan Cornish pasties’ that were made with local seasonal ingredients (so supporting local farmers), she was banned from doing so, and her business went bust. But the powers that be continue to let places in Cornwall make and sell and label ‘Cornish pasties’ when they are using meat that’s not from Cornish cows, vegetables that are not from Cornwall, palm oil (that is from Indonesia) and plastic (that is from the bottom of the sea – it’s made from oil).
Make Your Own Vegan Pasties Instead!
It’s empowering to be a peaceful troublemaker, isn’t it?! The answer is obviously just to make your own pasties. They will be kinder, cheaper, tastier and support British farmers, far more than the store-bought ones. And cholesterol-free too, so better for your heart. And lower in calories. Which means you can eat more of them!
Read up on food safety for people and pets (fresh dough and onion are unsafe near animal friends). Bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, leeks, shallots, chives) as acids may harm compost creatures (same with tomato/citrus/rhubarb scraps).
A simple recipe for four (big!) vegan pasties:
- Peel and dice 2 medium potatoes and 1/2 a small swede.
- Parboil them in boiling water for 4 minutes, drain and cool.
- Add 80g vegan beef-style mince to the cooled veggies.
- Fry a large finely chopped onion in a little oil for 3 minutes.
- Mix everything in a bowl, with salt, pepper and a little dried thyme.
- Roll out 320g of homemade vegan puff pastry (use Flora vegan baking block) and cut into four circles, each the size of a small bowl.
- Place a quarter of the filling into one half of each circle, leaving a small border that you brush with plant milk, to help seal the edges to form your pasties (use a fork to crimp). Cut steam vents in the top, to release moisture.
- Bake for 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200°C (fan) on a lined tray.
- For food safety, use a food thermometer to check the centre is above 75°C.
- Cool baked pasties on a rack for 10 minutes. They will keep in the fridge in an airtight container, for up to three days.
Homemade Vegan Cheese & Onion Pasties
Try these vegan cheese and onion pasties (The Veg Space) which have a nice creamy filling. Kate also has a nice list of possible pasty fillings, if you want to vary things up a bit.
One of her favourites is to make a Scottish Rumbledthump pie, a combo of mashed potato, cabbage and vegan cheese! Who knew?
