Red Leicester, red onion and new potato pasties recipe

Tangy red Leicester and sweet red onions make a great pairing. Delicious eaten hot, straight from the oven, or cold at a picnic, these yummy pasties are perfect with pickle. Perhaps not for pasty purists, these meat-free versions make a great alternative to the classic Cornish pasty. Simple to prepare, they are wonderfully satisfying and travel well in a lunch box or hamper. These pasties also freeze well, so try making them in advance and reheating them for a quick meal.

Ingredients

• 150g red Leicester cheese, diced
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 400g cooked new potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2tbsp crème fraîche
• A little salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (1 egg for the pasty mixture and 1 for glazing)
• 2 x 320g sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry
• A little milk
• A sprinkle of onion seeds (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Mix the red Leicester, red onion, cooked new potatoes, chives, crème fraîche and beaten egg together in a bowl and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Cut each of the pastry sheets into two, across the middle.
4. Divide the cheese and potato mixture into four and spoon it on to one side of each pastry rectangle, leaving a space around the edges.
5. Dampen the pastry edges with a little milk and fold the pastry over the filling, crimp the edges together and round off the corners of each parcel to make a pasty shape.
6. Prick each pasty with a fork, brush with beaten egg to glaze and sprinkle with onion seeds (if wanted).
7. Bake in the oven for 30 mins, until golden. Serve hot or cold.