If you’ve never tried Michel Roux’s pâte brisée I recommend you try it. It’s my go to dough when I’m making pasties. It’s soft and yet durable at the same time. It tastes so good. I also used it to make this potato pie. (I am yet to post the potato pie, sorry). I will update this section. I adjusted the original recipe for the filling and added flour to thicken the sauce. I also added sherry and mustard to flavour it. I found it rather bland.
Michel Roux's Cornish Pasties
Preparation time: 30 minutes; Total Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes; Makes: 6 pasties
Ingredients
- 450g (1 pound) pâte brisée
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) vegetable or olive oil
- 450g (1Ib) chuck steak diced into 5/8-inch (1.5cm) cubes
- 300ml (1¼ cups) good quality beef stock
- 1 potato (180g, 6oz) diced into ¼ inch (5mm) cubes
- Carrot or rutabaga (180g, 6oz) diced into 1/4 inch (5mm) cubes
- 1 onion (6oz, 180g) thinly moon-sliced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sherry or port (optional)
- 1 tablespoon old fashioned mustard (optional)
- Eggwash (1 medium egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon milk)
Instructions
- Make the pâte brisée dough in advance and keep in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) ten minutes before using. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Brown and cook the meat: heat the oil in a deep skillet and lightly sear the beef on all sides. Skim off the rendered fat then add the stock and to the seared beef and bring to the boil and simmer for about one hour or until the meat is very tender.
- Add the vegetables: add the potato, rutabaga (or carrot) and onion in the last 15 minutes of simmering the meat. Increase the heat, bring back to the boil and continue simmering for 15 minutes. Remove the meat and veggies with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Reduce left over stock: stir the teaspoon of flour, 2 tablespoons sherry and the mustard into the left over stock and increase the heat and reduce it to 3 tablespoons of thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Pour this sauce over the set aside meat and veggies and set aside to cool. Chill the filling for several hours.
- Roll the dough: roll out the dough to a 1/16-1/8 (2-3mm) thick circle. Cut into six 14cm (6¼-inch) circles. Spoon the mixture equally along the centres and brush the borders with egg wash. Fold the pasties over and pinch the boarders with your fingertips to seal the pasty completely. Chill the pasties in the fridge for about 20 minutes, then place each on the prepared baking sheet and brush with egg wash.
- Bake the pasties for 30-35 minutes or until deep golden, if necessary increase the heat to 400ºF (200ºC) for the last 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Points to Note
- Here is how I rolled my dough: I divided the dough into two equal pieces and rolled each piece into a rectangle 18 x 6½ inch. I divided the long strip into three 6-inch squares. Then I put a saucer in the middle of each square and cut out a round piece of dough. I find this works better than rolling one huge circle. Do what works best for you. The dough is rolled thinly (2-3mm)
- Please note that oven temperatures are given as a guideline only. You may need to add or reduce the suggested temperature depending on your oven. I baked the pasties at 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes.
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Step By Step Photos
Brown the meat on all sides, then skim off the fat and add the stock. Simmer the beef until very tender, then add the veggies in the last 15 minutes, bring back to the boil and simmer. Remove the cooked filling with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the left-over stock adding a little all-purpose flour, some sherry or port and mustard. Mix the thick sauce with the filling and chill for several hours before using.
Here is how I rolled my dough: I divided the dough into two equal pieces and rolled each piece into a rectangle 18 x 6½ inch. I divided the long strip into three 6-inch squares. Then I put a saucer in the middle of each square and cut out a round piece of dough. I find this works better than rolling one huge circle. Do what works best for you, then spoon the mixture equally along the centre and brush the borders with egg wash.
Fold the pasties over and pinch the boarders with your fingertips to seal the pasty completely (make sure you seal them properly). Chill the pasties in the fridge for about 20 minutes, then place each on the prepared baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is piping hot.
Michel Roux's Pâte brisée
Makes about 450g (1Ib)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 150g (5.3 oz, 1⅓ stick) butter, cubed and slightly softened
- 1 teaspoon (6g) fine salt
- Pinch superfine sugar
- 1 medium egg (50g, 1.7oz) or beat the egg and weigh 45g of beaten egg
- 1 tablespoon ice cold milk
Instructions
- Heap the flour onto the counter and make a well in the centre. Put the butter, salt, sugar and egg into the well. Using your fingertips, mix and cream these ingredients together.
- Little by little, draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture.
- Sprinkle the milk over the mixture and incorporate gently with your fingertips until the dough begins to hold together.
- Using the palm of your had, work the dough by pushing it away from your 4 or 5 times until smooth. Shape the dough into a disk and wrap with cling film. Chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes before use. (My dough weighed 480g).
- Pâte brisèe will keep perfectly in an airtight container in the fridge for a week and upto 3 months in the freezer.
- For cup measures: spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. I use a 240ml, American cup.
- If you use a large egg you’ll probably need to add more flour.
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