Cornish Pasty Recipe |Chicken Recipes | Jamie Oliver (2025)

FAQs

What is the difference between a pasty and a Cornish pasty? ›

There will always be great debate about the origin of the pasty, but one easy way to detect the Devon pasty from the Cornish is that the Devon pasty has a top-crimp and is oval in shape, whereas the Cornish pasty is semi-circular and side-crimped along the curve.

Pasties date back as far as the 13th century, at which time they were a pie baked without a dish of French origins, with a rich filling of venison, veal, beef, lamb or seafood, gravy and fruit. The name pasty is a mutation of the Medieval French “paste”, for pie.

No meat other than beef, and no vegetables apart from those listed can be used in the filling. There must be at least 12.5% beef and 25% vegetables in the whole pasty. All the ingredients must be uncooked when the pasty is assembled and then slowly baked to develop all that famous Cornish pasty taste and succulence.

A cornish pasty is a meal all into itself so doesn't really need an accompanying food items. I do however enjoy them with a couple of condiments (not both together; one or the other depending on my mood). Tomato ketchup or Piccalilli are both fantastic.

Use a firm waxy potato such as Maris Peer or Wilja. A floury potato will disintegrate on cooking. Crimping is one of the secrets to a true Cornish pasty. A good hand crimp is usually a sign of a good handmade pasty.

No debate here: carrots are "sacrilege" as the Cornish Pasty Association points out: the swede adds all the sweetness this dish needs.

Here's an ancient illustration of it where the pencil title calls it Boletus betulinus. I check the modern scientific name and it's apparently called Fomitopsis betulina now.

A pasty is known as a "tiddy oggy" when steak is replaced with an extra potato, "tiddy" meaning potato and "oggy" meaning pasty and was eaten when times were hard and expensive meat could not be afforded.

A bridie or Forfar bridie is a Scottish meat pasty that originates from Forfar, Scotland.

In Cornish slang, Oggy is simply a pasty.

What is the best way to eat Cornish pasty? ›

Rather than popping the pasty onto a plate and tucking in with a knife and fork, the pasty should be simply eaten directly from the bag, as it was invented to be a meal to enjoy quickly on the go without the need for utensils.

The Cornish pasty is crimped the side so that a miner could eat a pasty down the mine, holding it by the crimp, which would then become inedible from all the toxic chemicals on his hands. Don't eat the crimp!

As far as a Cornish Pasty is concerned, if you are eating it as 'designed' in your hand then you are unlikely to use any condiments. However if you are eating it on a plate with a knife & fork then ketchup or brown sauce are probably the most common.

A pasty is a handheld meat pie. To be considered authentic, according to the Cornish Pasty Association, it must use diced beef, potato, rutabaga (swede in the U.K.), and onion. Beef skirt steak is the most common cut of meat used.

Ready to eat cold - but best heated in an oven for true pasty pleasure! From Chilled: 180°C / Fan 160°C / Gas mark 4 for 20-25 minutes. From Frozen: 190°C / Fan 170°C / Gas mark 5 for 40-50 minutes. Allow it to rest for 3-4 minutes - and enjoy.

There are five main types of pastry dough for creating pastries: flaky, shortcrust, puff, choux and filo. All of them are made primarily from flour, water and fat. However, these five types of pastry dough each have slightly different core ingredients, different ratios of ingredients and, ultimately, different uses.

Since 2011, the Cornish Pasty has enjoyed protected status under Protected Food Names legislation; so only a pasty made to a specific recipe in Cornwall can be called a “Cornish Pasty”.

A bridie or Forfar bridie is a Scottish meat pasty that originates from Forfar, Scotland.

Our 'D' shaped pasties are the mark of authenticity, and they're a true Cornish delight. So, whether you're a Cornish native or a far-off admirer, Prima's Steak Pasties ensure you can savour the magic of Cornwall, wherever you are.