Cheese & Onion Pasties
Ingredients
- 1 egg beaten
- 4 green onions sliced
- 2 onions sliced
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper to season
- 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
- 150 g mature cheddar grated
- 4 thyme sprigs leaves picked
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Pastry
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1ยฝ cups plain flour plus extra for dusting
- Pinch sea salt
- ยฝ teaspoon mustard powder
- 125 g chilled butter cut into small cubes
Instructions
- To make the pastry, place the flour in a bowl and grate the chilled butter directly into it.
- Add the mustard powder and half the beaten egg.
- Season lightly with sea salt and bring the dough together with your hands.
- Add up to 3 tablespoons cold water if needed.
- Briefly knead into a smooth ball, flatten into a disc, wrap and chill while preparing the filling.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions with the thyme for 4 to 10 minutes, until softened and lightly caramelised.
- Cool, then mix with the grated cheese, wholegrain mustard and green onions.
- Roll the pastry on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick.
- Cut out 10 to 12 circles approximately 10 cm in diameter, re-rolling the pastry scraps as necessary.
- Spoon filling into the centre of each circle.
- Brush the edges with beaten egg, fold into half-moon shapes and crimp to seal.
- Transfer to a lined tray and brush the tops with the remaining egg.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200ยฐC.
- Cook the pasties for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serving Suggestions
Allow the pasties to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, as the cheese filling will be extremely hot straight from the air fryer. Serve warm for lunch or as a savoury snack with a crisp green salad.Recipe Notes
Keep the butter well chilled when preparing the pastry. Grating it directly into the flour makes it easier to distribute without overworking the dough. Allow the onion mixture to cool before combining it with the cheese. Adding hot onions can soften the cheese prematurely and make the filling harder to handle.Cooking Advice
Do not overfill the pastry circles. Leave enough clean pastry around the edges to create a secure seal, then crimp firmly to prevent the melted cheese from escaping during cooking.Storage Advice
Store cooled pasties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat them in the Airfryer until thoroughly hot and the pastry is crisp again.Wine Advice
A crisp Sauvignon Blanc provides enough freshness to balance the mature cheddar and buttery pastry. A light Pinot Noir is a good red alternative with the caramelised onion and thyme.Nutrition values
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About Cheese & Onion Pasties
Cheese & Onion Pasties combine crisp homemade pastry with a rich filling of mature cheddar, slowly softened onions, green onions, thyme and wholegrain mustard. Cooking the pasties in the Airfryer creates a deeply golden exterior while the cheese melts into the sweet and savoury onion filling.
A Classic Savoury Combination
Cheese and onion is a familiar combination in cooking from England. The sweetness of cooked onions balances the salty richness of mature cheddar, while mustard and thyme prevent the filling from becoming one-dimensional.
Using mature cheddar is particularly effective because its stronger flavour remains noticeable after cooking. A mild cheese can become lost against the pastry and caramelised onions.
Making the Pastry
The pastry is made from plain flour, chilled butter, egg, mustard powder and a pinch of salt. Grating cold butter directly into the flour distributes it quickly without requiring prolonged handling.
Bring the mixture together gently and add only enough cold water to form a smooth dough. Excessive liquid or kneading can make the finished pastry tougher.
Why the Pastry Needs to Chill
After mixing, flatten the dough into a disc and refrigerate it while preparing the filling. Chilling firms the butter and relaxes the dough, making it easier to roll and shape.
Keeping the pastry cool is particularly useful when working in a warm kitchen. If it becomes noticeably soft while shaping the pasties, return it briefly to the refrigerator.
Preparing the Onion Filling
The sliced onions are gently cooked with fresh thyme until softened and lightly caramelised. This develops their natural sweetness and removes the harshness associated with raw onion.
Once cooled, the onions are combined with grated mature cheddar, wholegrain mustard and sliced green onions. The green onions contribute a fresher onion flavour that contrasts with the sweeter cooked onions.
Using Mustard
Mustard appears in two forms. Mustard powder is incorporated into the pastry, while wholegrain mustard seasons the filling.
This gives the pasties a gentle mustard character throughout without overpowering the cheese. Whole mustard seeds also add small bursts of flavour and texture inside the filling.
Shaping the Pasties
Roll the chilled pastry to approximately 3 mm thick and cut it into 10 to 12 circles. Re-roll the scraps carefully to make the full quantity.
Place the filling in the centre rather than spreading it towards the edges. Brush the perimeter with beaten egg, fold the pastry over and crimp firmly to create the characteristic half-moon shape.
Air Frying the Pasties
Brushing the pastry with beaten egg encourages a glossy golden surface. Cook the pasties at 200ยฐC until the pastry is deeply coloured and completely cooked.
Depending on the capacity of the air fryer, several batches may be necessary. Avoid crowding because circulating hot air needs access to the surface of each pasty.
Serving Ideas
These savoury pasties are substantial enough for lunch when served with salad, coleslaw or vegetables. Their individual size also makes them convenient for picnics and informal gatherings.
They can be eaten warm or at room temperature, although allowing at least 10 minutes of cooling after cooking is essential because melted cheese retains heat surprisingly well.
Preparing Ahead
The pastry and filling can both be prepared in advance and refrigerated separately. Assemble the pasties when ready to cook so the filling does not have time to soften the raw pastry.
Alternatively, shape the pasties and keep them chilled for a short period before air frying. Brush with beaten egg immediately before cooking.
Storage and Reheating
Allow leftover pasties to cool before refrigerating them in an airtight container. Reheating in the air fryer is preferable to microwaving because it restores the crisp texture of the pastry.
Cheese & Onion Pasties turn simple ingredients into a satisfying savoury pastry with plenty of contrasting flavour and texture. Crisp buttery pastry surrounds melted mature cheddar, sweet onions, fresh green onions and mustard, making these compact pasties suitable for everything from lunch to a picnic or party table.