Festive cheese & chutney pasties

Ingredients

• 300g potato, cut into 5mm cubes
• 175g carrot, grated
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 175g mature cheddar, red leicester or a mix of both, grated
• 100g brie, camembert or a mix of both, chopped into 5mm cubes
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tsp English mustard
• 2 fat cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 2 large sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry (475g each)
• 230g red onion or other Christmas chutney
• 1 large egg, whisked
• A sprinkle of nigella seeds

Method

Boil the cubes of potato in boiling water for 5 mins with a pinch of sea salt. Drain well, then leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the grated carrot, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Leave aside for 10 mins.

Squeeze out the grated carrots very well so they’re not soggy (keep the vinegary liquid for salad dressings) then add to a large bowl. Next add the cooked potatoes, the cheeses, oregano, mustard, garlic and cornflour. Mix well so everything is evenly combined.

Unroll the puff pastry then make eight rectangular bases with dimensions of 10cm x 12cm, and eight slightly larger rectangular tops with dimensions of 12cm x 12cm. Using two baking sheets lined with baking parchment or silicon baking matts, place four of the bases on one baking sheet and the other four bases on the other.

Spread 1 tbsp chutney onto each of the pastry bases, leaving a rim of 5mm at the edges. On top of this, pile the cheese-potato mix in a compact dome, ensuring the 5mm rim is left empty.

Place the pastry lids on top of the bases, then use your fingers to press them together around the rim of each pasty. Take a fork and gently press around the perimeter. Refrigerate for 15 mins.

Heat the oven to 220C. Remove the chilled pasties from the fridge and use the fork to press around the edges again to make sure they’re fully sealed. Brush the tops all over with egg, then sprinkle with nigella seeds. Bake for 16-18 mins until golden brown on the outside and piping hot in the middle. Serve warm or cold, with extra chutney on the side if you fancy.

Image: Stuart Ovenden