27-09-2014, 09:01 PM
1
My all time favourite food
When I was still a youngster I used to go with my parents to my grandmothers in Cornwall. My gran made the most fantastic Cornish pasties in the old fashion way. She used a solid fuel caste iron range to cook them in and they were so moist with the meat juice running through them . Crimped along the top as they should be, stops the moisture running out, none of this side crimping rubbish which is entirely wrong. We used to sit on the rocks with these ,what seemed huge to me, double handed pasties and people around asked where we got them from.This shop bought stuff is not a patch on those and I doubt if many could still make them as good. It really needs a cast iron coal/wood fuel range to start with and there are not many of those about now I bet. Electric/gas ranges dry out the inside of a pastie too much
Oh and before anyone says about meat one end and the other end for second course I know all about that. But what I bet not many know is about the "knockers"?
The "knockers" where like little elves who looked after the tin mines when the miners finished for the day. The miners to keep the "knockers" happy used to leave the end of a pasty on a rock or platform in the mine to keep the "knockers" fed and happy to look after the mines properly
28-09-2014, 08:04 AM
3
Re: My all time favourite food
Oh dear, the old Cornish pasty squabble again; my Mother was Cornish and SHE made the best pasties in the world, the content and placing the crimp vary from area to area. My Mother crimped along the top; and used best chuck, onions and sliced potato, salt and pepper.The common denominators would be the type of pastry, short crust , best chuck steak and fresh local vegetables.
Do not add a knob of fat (enough fat in the pastry) as the ones wrapped in plastic have, if the ingredients are fresh, they make their own gravy which infuses the pastry and can I have one now please, I drool
Whilst speaking of Cornish food, scones just lashings of butter for me, add the jam and cream as you prefer
28-09-2014, 10:53 AM
4
Re: My all time favourite food
Originally Posted by Deb W
->
we're from Cornwall and all I can say is that the crimping NEVER goes along the top (and my husband's great-gran was named Rowe, who's shops still sell the best pasties in the world).
Oh and as for family history a small church was discovered in the dunes in perranporth and on a gravestone was my mothers family crest. they dated the priory back to around 100AD. so that is at least as long as my mothers side have been there and all my relatives on that side of the family are still there.
No doubt the "shop ones" you mention suit/fool tourists and think they are correct, but now you are talking to someone who knows the proper way.
Every true Cornishman knows about "the knockers" who and what they were and did, and why pasties are crimped along the top, it is only emmits that don't.
Oh and those living in the next town ST Agnes where known as gokoos. Any true Cornish person knows what I am talking about
28-09-2014, 11:03 AM
5
Re: My all time favourite food
I'm from Devon (originally) not Cornwall so what do I know. I did think though, that the side crimp was used as a 'handle' by the miners when eating it, so that they wouldn't get poisoned by heavy metals on their hands.I don't know about the best pasties available, but when we go down on holiday we always go to Anne's pasty shop in Lizard village, they're good'uns, especially when eaten down Lizard point or on the cliffs above Kynance.
Free range pasties are the best, not like these factory farmed one's you get up here.
28-09-2014, 11:44 AM
8
Re: My all time favourite food
Well, Ann would seem to agree with you Realspeed ...but ...
http://www.cornishpastyassociation.c...l-information/
So, next question is ... jam or cream first on a cream tea scone?
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