To make a Pasty of a Breast of Veal is a traditional Stuart recipe for a classic pasty of a breast of veal baked in cream shortcrust pastry with butter and lemon that's finished with a butter, white wine and egg custard. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Stuart version of: To make a Pasty of a Breast of Veal.
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Original Recipe
To make a Pasty of a Breast of Veal (from Hannah Woolley's Queen-like Closet 1670)
21. To make a Pasty of a Breast of Veal.
Egg, a little Salt, and as much cold Cream, or Milk as will make it into a Paste; when you have framed your Pasty, lay in your Breast of Veal boned, and seasoned with a little Pepper and Salt, but first you must lay in Butter.
When your Veal is laid in, then put in some large Mace, and a Limon sliced thin, Rind and all, then cover it well with Butter, close it and bake it, and when you serve it in, cut it up while it is very hot, put in some white wine, sugar, the yolks of Eggs, and Butter being first heated over the Fire together; this is very excellent meat.
Modern Redaction
Essentially this recipe, as the name suggests, is for a huge pasty with a breast of veal contained within.
Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
2.25kg plain flour
900g butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
400ml chilled cream or while milk (about)
For the Veal Filling:
1 boned breast of veal
100g butter, diced
1 lemon, finely sliced
1/4 tsp ground mace
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Custard:
200ml white wine
100g butter
3 egg yolks
Method:
For the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl, dice the butter finely then add to the flour and rub in with your fingers (or cut in with pastry knives). Work in the egg until combined then add enough of the chilled cream or milk to bring the mixture together as a dough.
Turn onto a floured work surface and roll out until large enough for the veal to sit inside and so you have enough pastry to wrap around the filling contents.
Scatter 3/4 of the diced butter in the centre of the pastry then season the breast of veal and arrange it on top. Arrange the sliced lemon on top of the veal and sprinkle over the ground mace. Dot the remaining butter on top then begin to bring the edges of the pastry up and over the veal. Crimp the edges securely closed and decorate the top with pastry shapes.
Carefully transfer to a large baking tray then set in an oven pre-heated to 170°C. Bake for about 80 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the veal is cooked within. If the pastry is colouring too quickly cover with greaseproof (waxed) paper or kitchen foil.
Just before the pasty is due to be removed from the oven, prepare the custard for the filling. Combine the wine and butter in a pan and heat until the butter has melted. Take off the heat and beat in the egg yolks. Place back on the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens.
Take the pasty out of the oven. Cut a gash in the top and pour in the custard. Allow to cool slightly so that the custard thickens then cut the pasty into rounds and serve.
