Forfar Bridie
Golden horseshoe-shaped Scottish pastry parcels packed with tender minced beef, rich suet, and savoury onion.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 580 kcal
Equipment
- •Mixing bowl
- •Rolling pin
- •Baking tray
- •Pastry brush
- •Greaseproof paper
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- fat
- 34 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 24 g
- calories
- 580 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the chilled butter and lard into the plain flour and salt until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 2
Add cold water gradually and bring the dough together into a smooth ball using your hands.
- 3
Wrap the dough in greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 4
Mix the minced beef, shredded beef suet, chopped onion, beef stock, salt, and black pepper thoroughly in a bowl.
- 5
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- 6
Divide the rested dough into four equal portions and roll each into an oval roughly 5 mm thick.
- 7
Spoon a quarter of the beef filling onto one half of each pastry oval, leaving a clear border.
- 8
Brush the pastry edges with cold water, fold over the empty half to create a horseshoe shape, and crimp firmly.
- 9
Cut one small slit in the top of each bridie, then brush the pastry evenly with beaten egg.
- 10
Bake on the middle oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp.
Chef's tips
Do not use ultra-lean mince, as the fat and suet are essential to create the succulent filling and flaky interior. For the traditional onion-free version favoured by some Angus bakeries, simply omit the onion and make two slits in the pastry crust.
Ingredient substitutions
- beef suet → grated chilled butter or beef dripping
- lard → all-butter or block vegetable shortening
Storage
Store cooled bridies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 180°C for 15 minutes until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overfilling the pastry, which causes the seams to burst during baking.
- •Using lean mince without suet, leading to a dry and crumbly filling.
- •Skipping the top steam vent, which traps moisture and makes the crust soggy.
Serving suggestions
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