Canning's WORLD FAMOUS Cornish Pasty

This recipe has been in my family forever.  My mother and father used to make these when I was just a tadpole and I can remember as if it were yesterday the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen and the mouth watering that followed.  For this blog I made these on 2-12-11.

These pasties are a meal in themselves.  I'm a big guy (6'3" and around 200 lbs) and 1/2 a pasty fills me and keeps me going for hours.  These refrigerate well and will last for several days in the fridge.  They are also delicious cold.  We serve ours with a simple brown gravy.  YUM YUM !!

KEY POINT:  All great chefs scream out to use the Cheapest cuts of meat out there.  The flavor of these cuts is exceptional and if prepared right they shine!  Why spend $10 a pound on T-Bone steak to put into a simple dish such as this.  Save those expensive cuts for grilling.

My Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs beef roast (I used tri-tip on this one however a chuck roast or round works well)
2 large russet potatoes
1/2 large yellow onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic (2 cloves in a garlic press)
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Pie Dough (You can use any pre-made pie dough or make your own).  We often use the Pillsbury round pie dough rolls available in most markets)  This time I made my own from a pie dough recipe I use fairly often.  I prefer making my own simply because I add some cold butter to the dough at the end, pounding it in so the crust is quite a bit more flaky, similar to a puff pastry.

My Method:
Cube your meat into 1/2" pieces, removing as much FAT as possible.  Nothing tastes worse in a pasty than a big wad of gristle or fat.  BLECH !
Dice your onion into 1/2" pieces.  Place the meat, onions and garlic into a sautee pan and brown well.  When the meat is brown add 1/2 cup hot water to the pan, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Then remove the lid and simmer until the liquid is gone.  Remove the contents into a bowl to cool.

Peel your potatoes, then on a mandolin or food processor slice your potatoes into thin (1/8" or so) slices.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Pull out a cookie sheet (I use an Air-Bake Sheet because it does not scorch the bottom of your pasty).
Roll out your dough (9-10" round).  Place the potatoes on 1/2 of the dough, leaving about 1/2" at the edge for crimping.  Add your meat to the top of the potatoes (1/2 lb).  Sprinkle about a tbsp of flour over the meat.  Then about 1/2 tsp salt and pepper and three small spots of butter (about 1/2 tsp each) to the top of the pile.  Carefully fold over the 1/2 dough that has nothing on it and then crimp the edges to make a large (turnover shaped pie).  Punch a few air holes with a fork in the top.  Repeat this for the 2nd pasty.  Then brush some melted butter over the top of the pastry thinly.  Place in the oven for 1 hour.

 We serve these with brown gravy.  Any type will work, yes, even the packaged stuff.  DELICIOUS !!

Orange/Honey Glazed Chicken

Orange/Honey Glazed Chicken

This is the first entry into FOOD JIM-POSSIBLE.  Yes, anything I make is POSSIBLE for anyone who is tired of the "same old stuff" for dinner, snack, dessert, whatever.  Don't spend your hard earned money on some second rate restaurant who claims to have the "best food in town".  B.S.  Grab a pot or pan, your favorite knife and start cooking.  You'll quickly discover that the more you do the better it gets.  Customize any recipe into something magical you and yours can enjoy.

My Ingredients:

2 Large Chicken Breasts

1/3 cup Honey

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce

3/4 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp corn starch

My Method:

Cut the chick breasts in half (you will have 4 nice portions).

Place a sautee pan on the stove on medium heat and get it nice and hot (about 2-3 minutes), add 2 tsp butter and 2 tsp olive oil to the pan, melting it with a swirling motion.  When the mixture is melted add your 4 pieces of chicken to the pan to "brown" them.  Cook approx. 2 minutes per side.  Then remove from the pan and let rest on a plate.

In a small mixing bowl whisk the honey, orange juice, paprika, salt pepper, teriyaki sauce and mustard together briskly until all of the honey is well blended.  Then add the corn starch to the mixture, whisking until blended.  Pour this mixture into a quart sized zip-lock baggie and drop in your chicken pieces.  Place the bag in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.  Make sure you get this mixture all over each piece of chicken and turn it a few times during the refrigeration time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the chicken and mixture into a baking dish 8x8 if you have it however any size will do.  Bake the chicken for 30 minutes then baste with the juice on the bottom of the pan.  Cook for 15-20 minutes more and remove from the oven.  The leftover liquid in the baking dish should be reduced by 1/2 in a small sauce pan and then poured over your chicken.

I serve this with a nice butter and herb egg noodle however rice can also make a great meal.