Comfort food vegan pasties (crimped to perfection!)
Let’s face it, England is not really a nation of salad eaters. There’s somethig comforting about a vegan pasty, you don’t have to be a builder to enjoy one!
Of course, they were invented in Cornwall (they used to be half-filled with fruit), the ‘crimped edge’ was designed so the pasties were easy to hold, then the crust thrown to the ghosts in the mine.
Today (like champagne) you can only call a Cornish pasty as such, if it was made in Cornwall. That’s why Gregg’s et al can’t call them Cornish pasties, as they are not made in Cornwall.
But then the law is not that strict. Because nearly all store-bought versions contain palm oil (from Indonesia). So it’s far better to make your own from real English ingredients, and just call it a ‘vegan pasty!’
There is not enough land in England for everyone to eat free-range. So try some plant-based mince (Moving Mountains is a good brand) along with your vegetables (potato, swede and onion). Carrots are not allowed – like putting pineapple on Italian pizza!
A simple recipe for four (big!) vegan pasties:
Preheat oven to 200°C fan or 425°F
Peel and dice 2 potatoes and 1/2 a swede, then boil in water for 4 minutes, drain and cool. Mix with a little fried onion and vegan beef-style mince in a bowl, along with salt, pepper and a little dried thyme.
Roll out some homemade vegan puff pastry (use Flora baking block as it’s free from palm oil) into four large circles, and add the filling to one half, leaving a border to brush with plant milk and use a fork to crimp the edges.
Cut steam vents in the top, then bake for around 40 minutes on a tray lined with parchment paper.
Use a food thermometer to check that the centre of the filling reaches at least 75°C. Once baked, transfer the pasties to a wire rack and allow them to cool. Chill leftovers asap once cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within three days. Reheat thoroughly before serving, ensuring the centre is piping hot.
Keep fresh dough (and onion, garlic etc) away from pets. Unless you have a food waste bin, bin pepper and allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots) as acids could harm compost creatures.
Homemade vegan cheese and 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?
Where to buy vegan pasties (no palm oil)
The Vegan Pasty Company offers pasties that tick all the boxes, as these are all free from palm oil. Sold in boxes to freeze, there are vegan meat pasties, plus ones made with more natural sweet potato and bean, and also smoked vegan cheese pasties.
This is (along with The No Meat Co that makes vegan sausage rolls) at time of writing the only company in England that makes ‘vegan alternatives’ but without palm oil. So they need all the support they can get!
