Forfar Bridie Recipe from Scotland
A Forfar bridie is a popular Scottish creation that isn’t quite as famous as Cornish pasties, but if you ask me, they win the prize for the tastier of the two!
Have you ever heard of Forfar bridies? Unless you’re from Scotland, or possibly the UK, I’d place a bet that you haven’t, and that’s such a shame! Let’s change that, shall we?
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What is a Bridie? (or a Forfar Bridie?)
A Scottish Forfar bridie is a meat and onion filled pastry that is popular in Scotland. The traditional and authentic Forfar version uses shortcrust pastry, however, bridies are often made with flaky pastry in Scotland. In the US and Canada, it would be referred to as a handheld meat pie.
Why is a Bridie called a Bridie?
According to the Rampant Scotland website and other online sources,
These are said to have been made by a travelling food seller, Maggie Bridie of Glamis (in the days when the county of Angus was called Forfarshire). They were mentioned by J M Barrie (author of Peter Pan) who was born in Kirriemuir in that county. -Rampant Scotland
What is a Bridie in Scotland?
A tasty meat and onion filled pastry that is often eaten by hand and sold in bakeries and cafes.
What’s the Difference Between a Forfar Bridie and a Cornish Pasty?
The main difference is in the filling. While a bridie only contains pieces of beef and onion, a pasty also includes potatoes and swede, or turnip or rutabaga (depending on where you live, it is known by different names.) Although both authentic versions use shortcrust pastry, the crimping style of finishing the edge is different, and as noted above, bridies often are made with flaky pastry.
What is a Forfar? 😂
I am adding this question as people are searching for the answer on Google! Forfar is not a thing, but a place! Forfar is a town in Scotland, not too far from Dundee, where the Dundee Cake recipe originated. Forfar bridies are simply the same as the aforementioned Dundee Cake, a dish from a place, just like Buffalo hot wings or New England clam chowder.
Although the ingredients are rather similar, Scottish sausage rolls taste very different from Forfar bridies. Why not make both and compare for yourself?
Scottish Sausage Rolls Recipe
Forfar bridies are perfect packable food to go, too.
Forfar Bridie Recipe
Adapted from Rampant Scotland and Traditional Scottish Cookery Cookbook Serves 6
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- ground beef (mince) or chopped lean, organic beef
- onion
- butter or shredded suet
- dry mustard powder
- Kosher or sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- beef stock
- flaky pastry or puff pastry
Note: shortcrust pastry is the authentic option.
Oven temperature to start: 450˚F (230˚C)
Step by Step Directions for Bridie Recipe
Put all of the ingredients, except for the pastry, into a large bowl and mix well, preferably with your hands.
Divide the pastry and meat mixture into six equal portions. Roll or cut (if using puff pastry) each piece of pastry into an oval or circle about six inches in diameter, and about quarter of an inch thick.
Place some of the bridie mixture in the middle of the pastry.
Wet the edge of the pastry with water, then fold over to seal.
Seal the edge of the pastry with a fork.
Place the finished bridies onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone sheet or piece of parchment paper. Cut a small slit or two in the top then brush with an egg white wash (slightly beat an egg white with half a teaspoon of water.)
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450˚F (230˚C) for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350˚F (180˚C) and cook for another 35 to 40 minutes until they are golden brown. If they start to get too brown, cover with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and if not eating them right away, place on a metal cooling rack.
Serve hot, with a generous amount of HP Sauce! and chips (as in chunky fries) and Heinz beans. Thanks to Rona B. from Forfar who told me that they’re traditionally served with chips (and not mashed potatoes) and baked beans.
She also went out of her way to ask NINE other friends how they eat theirs and they all concurred. So there you have it: straight from Forfar! Thanks again, Rona! 😊
How about some Dundee cake with a cup of tea, now?
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Forfar Bridie Recipe
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean beef organic, mince or chopped, cut into ½" pieces (1 cm)
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 oz butter or shredded suet
- ½ tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 2 Tbsp beef stock (I use water and Oxo beef cube)
- 1 lb flaky pastry or puff pastry (see NOTES for shortcrust recipe)
Instructions
- Oven Temperature: 450˚F (230˚C)
- Put all of the ingredients, except for the pastry, into a large bowl and mix well, preferably with your hands.
- Divide the pastry and meat mixture into six equal portions. Roll or cut (if using puff pastry) each piece of pastry into an oval or circle about six inches in diameter, and about quarter of an inch thick.
- Place some of the bridie mixture in the middle of the pastry.
- Wet the edge of the pastry with water, then fold over to seal.
- Seal the edge of the pastry with a fork.
- Place the finished bridies onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone sheet or piece of parchment paper. Cut a small slit or two in the top then brush with an egg white wash (slightly beat an egg white with half a teaspoon of water.)
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450˚F (230˚C) for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350˚F (180˚C) and cook for another 35 to 40 minutes until they are golden brown. If they start to get too brown, cover with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and if not eating them right away, place on a metal cooling rack.
- Serve hot, with a generous amount of HP Sauce. You can make it a full meal by adding hot, fluffy mashed potatoes and a green vegetable, like peas, (or Heinz beans).
Notes
- Shortcrust pastry recipe
- Shortcrust pastry is the authentic option. Also, omit the mustard powder and beef stock for a more authentic recipe.
- I used Trader Joe's puff pastry for the bridies in the photos.
Nutrition
More savory Scottish recipes ~
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My mother used to make these but hers was with ground beef and a can of tomato sauce and a hard boiled egg. I can’t remember what else was in the recipe.
I am making these for our New Years Eve Dinner! Every year for last 45 yrs I have gone to a re-enactment of the French Traders landing in our area off of the Wabash River here in Indiana-It is called the Feast of the Hunters Moon. For about the last 20yrs or so, the 42nd Royal Highlanders have been serving up Forfar Bridies and they are soooooo popular sometimes the line can be an hour long! Not sure how many they actually end up making over the course of the weekend but it has to be thousands! Well, due to the pandemic the re-enactment was cancelled and I missed my annual Forfar Bridie- thank you for the history lesson and for the recipe!! will be keeping this one!
Good for you! Way to think outside the box! Enjoy them and hopefully next year, it will be on again (sounds like a great event)! Happy new year, Muna!
wonderfully written..recipe is too good.
Going to make Bridies this week. I have not had one since 1979. I was on company business for Timex Corp and spent a good part of my trip visiting with my counterpart Rick S. While at the Fisher mans cafe. I asked the bartender if i could run out and get some Brides for my Scottish friends to go along with our Tartent Cream Ale. i went to the Dundee Bakery and bought 1 and half dozen bridies. all the guys loved the Bridies and naturally so did I.it was one of the best business trips i ever experienced. The Scotts are really great people and made me feel at home. spectacular people Including our bar keeper. theBrides were the best ever, i am hoping the brides i make this week come close to what i ate from a professional bake shop.
Oh that’s a lovely memory, Bill! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, but please do let me know what you think. Of course, not eating them in Scotland is the downfall of any recipe made overseas, but the best way to revisit places through tastes and smells! Enjoy!
oh how delicious do these sound! i love a pastie or a small pie like this. basically anything wrapped in pastry is delish to me:)
You’ve explained everything so nicely. Thank you for sharing valuable information. I will definitely this one.
Living in Scotland and teaching Home Economics I get my students to make these. Have you tried a Bedfordshire Clanger? These are amazing and originate close to my birth town in England. They were redeveloped at Gunns Bakery in Sandy, Biggleswade and Bedford by our family friends and have now become very popular there locally and further afield after their exposure on The Great British Bake Off. I’m sure you’ll love them too. Great for lunches and picnics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2B-r6NO9HY
First time I heard of Bridie, looks deliciously good and has a good resemblance with empanadas.
Love this recipe