Forfar Bridies are traditional Scottish meat pies wrapped in pastry that you can find all over Scotland! You can whip up these tasty and authentic meat pies in no time!
What is a Forfar Bridie?
Forfar Bridies were created in Forfar, Angus, Scotland, and the story goes that a woman named Maggie Bridie created them in the 1850’s to sell at fairs and markets. Others have claimed the invention to be theirs but Maggie’s claim is the most commonly accepted.
Forfar Bridies are traditionally made with either shortcrust or flaky pastry (either full puff pastry or rough puff can be used if you make your own pastry). During most of my trips around Scotland and during the several years that I lived there, I noticed that puff pastry was used almost everywhere except Forfar. In Forfar, they tend to use shortcrust pastry that is unbelievably flaky!
It is most common to find Forfar Bridies with onion and spices in them but, just in case you don’t like onions, here’s a little secret. If a Forfar Bridie has one hole poked in the top to release the steam, it does not have onions in it. If the baker pokes two holes in the top, the Bridie has onions in it!
You can see where Forfar is on the map above – can you believe that I was lucky enough to live just 20 minutes north of Forfar? Scotland is such a beautiful country and is a worthy destination for foodies and tourists alike!
What is the difference between Forfar Bridies and a Cornish Pasty?
So a Forfar Bridie is a meat pie, right? But isn’t it the same as a Cornish Pasty?? They look the same from the outside!
Well, yes and no. Forfar Bridies and Cornish Pasties are both meat pies and are generally hand-held. The difference between a Forfar Bridie and a Cornish Pasty is that the Pasty, originally from Cornwall, England, has vegetables in it. Most Cornish Pasties contain beef skirt steak or another cut of ground beef, potatoes, onions, and swedes (rutabagas in the US).
Forfar Bridies, on the other hand, may contain onion or may sometimes be plain, without onion.
What to serve with Forfar Bridies
A traditional meal in Scotland that contains Forfar Bridies would likely also include chips (aka french fries), baked beans, and a good dose of HP Sauce.
If you want to be a bit non-traditional, you can spice up these meat pies with about 2 tablespoons of Worchestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and even 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper in the meat mixture.
A sprinkle of shredded cheese on top of the meat mixture would be a wonderful addition as well!
More Scottish Foods and Drinks to try
Every September is Scottish Food and Drinks Fortnight but why wait? Read my post about Scottish Foods and Drinks with traditional foods, drinks, and recipes!
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Other recipes to try from Global Bakes:
Forfar Bridies
Ingredients
- One box frozen Puff Pastry OR Homemade Puff Pastry OR Rough Puff Pastry
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion grated
- 1/4 cup strong beef stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground balck pepper
- 3 tablespoons cold butter grated
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, grated onion, dry mustard, ground mace, salt and pepper. Grate the cold butter and gently mix the butter into the meat mixture. Set aside.
- On a floured countertop or board, roll out one sheet of puff pastry and cut in half with a knife or pastry cutter. Add a handful of the meat mixture on one side of one piece of pastry.
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl and then brush the egg on the edges of the pastry around the meat. Fold the pastry over and seal with your fingers. Repeat until you are out of meat. This recipe should make six large Forfar Bridies.
- Brush the extra flour off the bridies, seal the edges with a fork and cut a small hole in the top for the steam to escape. Place on a lined baking sheet and brush the bridies with egg wash.
- Bake at 450F for about 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked. The temperature in the center of the meat should be at leat 175F. Check the bridies at 20 minutes and tent them with foil if they are too brown.
(Tonya, You forgot to include the pdf pastry sheets in the ingredient list!!!)