COUNTRY COOK: UPPER CRUST

STEVE CUMPER REVEALS WHY HE’LL CHOOSE A PASTY OVER A PIE ANY DAY.

Pie or pastie? Steve Cumper presents a compelling argument in favour of the latter.

I LOVE A pie as much as the next man — as long as that man isn’t Simple Simon — however, the bakery item that has most frequently taken my hard-earned cash is the pasty.

Why? For starters, I love the smell of a good pasty. There’s something honest about the filling, too. You can see all the bits of vegetables and meat as it’s not cloaked in a robe of gravy like the contents of a pie.

They are heaps easier to eat as well and were possibly one of the first fully transportable, hand-held, pre-packaged foods ‘to go’. I know plenty of people who have been chin-scalded by a pie’s hot filling but none presenting with a similar burn from a pasty. Coincidence? I think not.

If you believe the folklore, the original pasty had a savoury end and a sweet end, enabling the Cornish coal miners it is named after to enjoy their ‘tea’ and pudding all in the same dish. These days, the ingredients, method and location for making an authentic Cornish pasty are now strictly enforced by a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) and woe betide anyone who tries to pass off a fake (like those devious Devon pasties with their frill at the top, rather than the side!).

According to popular convention, pasties are the origin to that most colloquial of chants. When the baked goods were ready to eat, tin miners’ wives shouted the Celtic word for pastry, “Oggy! Oggy! Oggy!”, to which hungry miners replied, “Oi! Oi! Oi!” Thank goodness our athletes were not pelted by flying baked goods when we adapted the mantra for the 2000 Olympics!

My pasties may not be from Cornwall (and I quite like a frilly top) but they make a tasty addition to a picnic. While fellow pasty aficionados will know sauce is a must-have condiment,

I’ve upped the ante with kasundi, an Indian-spiced tomato relish. Finally, here’s my biggest tip: pasties also taste excellent at room temperature so there’s never any need to eat cold humble pie. Steve Cumper is a chef and funnyman who lives in Tasmania and dreams of one day owning a fleet of holiday vans called Wicked Cumpers.

PASTIES WITH TOMATO KASUNDI Makes 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

200g diced lamb

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 carrots, diced

2 small turnips (or 1 swede), diced 2 potatoes, diced

1 cup frozen peas

5 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting 200g cold butter

2 cups sour cream

1 egg, whisked

KASUNDI

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 brown onion, finely diced

1 red capsicum, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon caraway seeds 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 1 cinnamon stick, halved pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup malt vinegar

½ cup sultanas

2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes

Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat oil in a heatproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Cook onion and lamb, stirring, for 10 minutes or until lamb is browned on all sides.

Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour enough water over mixture to just cover. Cover with a lid and bake for 1 hour or until lamb is tender. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, place carrot, turnip and potato in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil over a high heat. Simmer for 8 minutes or until just tender. Add peas and cook for 1 minute. Drain and refresh in chilled water. Stir vegetables into lamb mixture. Season well. Cool, then transfer to a container and refrigerate.

To make kasundi, heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over a medium heat. Cook onion and capsicum, stirring, for 8 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute. Stir in spices. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add sugar, vinegar and sultanas. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil. Add tomatoes and return to boil. Simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes or until mixture is thick and glossy. Season. Cool, then transfer to a container and refrigerate.

Place flour, butter and a pinch of salt into a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add sour cream and pulse until mixture comes together. Turn pastry onto a lightly floured surface and form into a 3cm-thick disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 1 hour or until chilled.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Cut 6 x 15cm pastry rounds. Ladle ¾ cup of filling into centre of each round. Bring edges together to form a semicircle, pinch to seal and form a frill along top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Brush with egg and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Serve with kasundi.