Forfar Bridies (Irish)

Forfar bridies are Scotland’s answer to the Cornish pasty, named for the small Angus town of Forfar where they originated as a 19th-century butcher’s specialty. Each one is a hand-sized meat pie sealed in flaky pastry, traditionally eaten with the hands at football matches, ploughing matches, and roadside markets across the British Isles.

The filling stays simple on purpose. Ground lamb or beef cooked with onion, salt, pepper, and a hit of Worcestershire is moistened just barely with stock so it spoons cleanly without making the pastry soggy. Don’t add carrots, peas, or potato; that’s pasty territory and Forfar purists will tell you it’s a different sandwich entirely.

The three slashes on top serve a real purpose. They vent steam during baking so the bridies don’t burst, and they’re how you tell a bridie from a pasty at a glance. The egg-white wash gives the crust its golden sheen without the extra richness of a full egg yolk wash.

Pro Tips

• Drain the cooked meat very well. Excess fat or moisture turns the bottom crust gummy.
• Use cold water and cold butter or lard in the pastry. Warm dough loses its flake.
• Crimp the edges firmly with a fork or your fingers. Loose seams burst open and leak.
• Serve hot with brown sauce or HP sauce, the traditional UK accompaniments.

Variations

• Use half lamb, half beef for richer flavor like the original Forfar butchers preferred.
• Add a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme or rosemary to the filling for an herbaceous lift.
• Make smaller bridies (3-inch) as appetizers and serve with a chutney for dipping.