Hello, I am experimenting with cornish pasties at the moment, and remember my Dad’s James Beard (techniques?) had a very good recipe, particularly for the pastry. Now my Dad has passed away, and I don’t have the book anymore. Does anyone remember this recipe and where I might find it?

My thanks,

Helen, in my copy of James Beards American Cookery he suggests either his standard pastry recipe, or a suet pastry.  I would go with the suet pastry for a more authentic crust.  His recipe was for 1 cup of suet for 2 cups of flour.  This would be a much richer pastry than would have been used originally.  The traditional crust was very lean…to be able to hold up to being transported to the mines.  If you would like more information, google Butte Heritage Cookbook.  The second listing ‘Montana Recipes” has the pastie recipe from that cookbook.  It calls for shortning but I would substitute suet or lard.  Good luck with your recipe search. 

Janet K

Many thanks Janet, that was just the info I was looking for!

I meant to say as well that I have recently discovered that in UK cookbooks ‘shortening’ can mean ‘suet’, something I never knew. Margarine is just margarine, or block cooking fat.

Ah! that explains it then.  Most of the recipes in that cookbook came over from “the old Country’  with the miners in the early part of the last century.