Candice's easy to make pork and apple pasties
This British summer has left us all guessing what tomorrow’s weather will bring, so Candice Brown is in the kitchen with an idea that works come rain or shine!
Candice's delicious and easy to make recipe for pork and apple pasties offers the perfect flavour combination, encased in buttery pastry.
A great addition to any picnic or a comforting lunch if it’s raining, nothing beats a pasty, and this is guaranteed to be a winner whatever the weather.
Serves: makes 12 pasties
Ingredients
For the pastry:
400g plain flour2 tsp baking powder1 tsp salt1 tsp dried sage½ tsp smoked paprika110g unsalted butter2 egg yolksbeaten egg for egg wash
For the filling:
500g pork fillet1 medium floury potato, peeled and finely cubed1 leek, finely sliced½ red onion, finely chopped1 tsp chopped garlic (jarred or fresh)1 tsp chopped red chilli (jarred or fresh)1 tsp chopped fresh sage1 tsp smoked paprika½ tsp feneel seeds100g smoked streaky baconunsalted butter2 Bramley apples, peeled cored and diced100ml dry cidersalt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
First make the pastry:
Put the flour, baking powder, salt, sage and paprika into a bowl. Add the butter and rub together with your finger tips until you have a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix in the egg yolks. Slowly add the water, mixing together with your hands until a ball of dough forms. (alternatively you make the pastry in a food processor – put all the ingredients except the water and blitz into breadcrumbs.) Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for about an hour.
For the filling:
Remove any sinew or tendons from the pork fillet, then cut into small cubes.
Tip into a large bowl and add the potato, leek, onion, garlic, chilli, sage, paprika, fennel seeds, and some salt and pepper. Snip the bacon into strips directly into the bowl. Get your hands in and give everything a good mix together. Cover with cling film and set aside so the flavours can mingle.
Melt 25g butter in a small saucepan, add the diced apple and cider, cook over a low heat until the apples have softened and the mixture is thick and reduced. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 160c fan (180c/350f/gas mark 4). Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
To make the pasties:
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out rounds using a small side plate (about 12cm in diameter for a small pasty and 16cm in diameter for a medium) as a guide.
Scrunch together the pastry trimmings, then roll out and cut out more rounds so you have 12 in all
Spoon some of the pork filling in the centre of each round and add a small knob of butter on top. Spoon some of the apple mix along the top of the meat filling.
Egg wash the edges of each round, then bring up two opposite sides to meet in the centre over the top of the filling. Gently pinch and crimp the edges together so there are no gaps.
Egg wash all the shaped pasties and poke a small hole in the top to let steam out. Arrange on the baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot!