Ingredients
For the pastry
- 175g cold butter, chopped into chunks
- 350g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp English mustard powder
- 1 egg, beaten for glazing
For the filling
- 50g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 200g peas, frozen or cooked fresh
- 100g thickly sliced ham, chopped into small chunks
- small bunch mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 250g pack ricotta
Method
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Tip the butter, flour and mustard powder into a food processor with ½ tsp salt and whizz until you can’t see any lumps of butter. Add roughly 4-5 tbsp cold water, a spoonful at a time, while pulsing until the pastry comes together. Tip out onto a clean surface, bring together into a ball and chill while you make the filling.
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Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the onion and gently sweat for 10-15 mins until really soft, but not very coloured. Stir in the peas for 1 min, then turn off the heat and stir in the ham, mint and ricotta with plenty of seasoning.
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Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and divide the pastry into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece to a neat 16-17cm circle – cut round a saucer or lid. Brush the edges with a little of the beaten egg, spoon a quarter of the filling into the middle, then bring up opposite sides of the pastry and seal. Crimp to make a pasty shape. Carefully lift onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pastry, then brush the finished pasties all over with egg. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and crisp. Leave to cool slightly, then serve either warm or cold.