Cornish Pasty

Doneness

Done when the shortcrust is deep golden and flaky all over, the crimped edge is set and golden, and the filling is steaming hot in the centre (a skewer slid into the middle comes out hot to the touch). No flip — the pasty sits crimp-up the whole time so the ridge stays intact and the base doesn't crack. If you're baking a from-scratch pasty with raw filling rather than reheating a cooked one, drop to 350 °F (177 °C) and give it much longer so the beef and swede cook through to a safe 160 °F (71 °C) without the crust scorching.

Oil & seasoning

No oil needed — brush the top with beaten egg before cooking for an even golden shine, and the butter or lard in the shortcrust crisps it. Without the egg wash the pastry bakes pale rather than golden.

Season with: Traditional Cornish: diced skirt beef, swede (rutabaga), potato, and onion, well peppered., Cheese-and-onion: a vegetarian filling of potato, onion, and sharp cheddar., Lamb-and-mint or chicken-and-leek: regional and modern meat variations., Breakfast pasty: bacon, sausage, egg, and potato..

Watch out for

• !Vent the top with a couple of small slits or steam from the filling can split the crust and blow out the crimp.
• !Brush with egg wash for an even golden top — without it the shortcrust bakes pale and pasty.
• !Cook crimp-up and don't flip: a Cornish pasty is sealed along its top edge, and turning it cracks the crust and spills the filling.
• !Reheating a cooked pasty just needs the centre piping hot, but baking a raw-filling one from scratch needs a lower temp and far longer so the beef and swede actually cook — rushing it at 375 °F scorches the crust over raw filling.
• !Let it rest a couple of minutes — the filling holds steam and burns the mouth straight out of the basket.