PASTIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add dry ingredients for the crust, cut in the shortening.
• Add the water in batches and mix in gently. Too much mixing or too much water will make the crust tougher. Tougher crusts were desirable in the mines of Whales or the UP Iron/ Copper mines.
• When mixed, cut the dough into 8 equal size/weight pieces to roll out. I use 2 cups (approx 12 oz.) of filling on a 12" diam. rolled crust. You may want to make smaller diam. crust and use only 8 oz. of filling in which case you will probably want to make more dough. Make sure the pieces of dough are formed into a tight uniform ball so they will role out evenly with no splits. I usually pat out the dough as much as I can with my hands to help keep the dough in shape better without splits.
• While the dough is resting, cut up the vegetables. I often use a thin skinned red, yellow, or white potato and leave the skin on. I also don't usually peal the carrots either. I sometimes use turnips with or instead of rutabaga and on occasion mix in some parsnip or celery besides. Sometime I intend on trying celery root
• In another large bowl mix the meats together until uniform and well broken up into small pieces. Now add the cut up vegetables, herbs, and spices. I sometimes like to use celery salt, or garlic salt instead of plain salt.
• When all mixed, start rolling out your first crust. Place the mixed filling off center but not too close to the edge. Now fold the crust over the filling and crimp the edge like a pie crust. I don't use water in the folded crimp, it makes the crust too hard for my liking. I usually weigh the entire filling when it is all mixed and then weigh out 1/8 of the mix for each pasty. I never seem to end up with exactly 4 cups of potatoes or carrots etc.. Again you can use less mix per pasty and make more pasties.
• When all the pasties are made, punch a few vent holes in the top of the crust before placing them on a greased or sprayed cookie sheet. You do not want the seam to leak out the juices because there is no steam vent, makes a real mess and a dry pastie.
• place them a preheated 375' oven for 45- 60 minutes. The time will vary on the diced sizes of vegetables and how thick you make the pasty. After I crimp the edges of a pasty i usually pat down the pasty to make it a little thinner but wider.
• When the crust in nice and golden like the photo the inside us usually done and can be taken out and cooled. Some people like to put a gravy over the pasty, I sometimes like to put ketchup over them.