Jamaican Patties
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Makes 36 Patties
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes for the beef plys 20 minutes baking per tray
For pastry
- 3.5 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 125g/4.4ozs. butter, cold, cubed
- 125g/4.4ozs. shortening
- 1 cup ice water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
For filling
- oil for frying
- 550g/19.5ozs minced beef
- 2 brown onions, peeled and finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1.5 teaspoons ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 scotch bonnet chillies*
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme
*It may be difficult to source Scotch bonnet chillies. These are habanero chillies that are similar but Scotch bonnets are slightly sweeter.
Step 1 - First make the dough, place the flour, salt, turmeric and curry powder in a food processor and whiz for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until you get a sandy texture. Add the water and vinegar and pulse-it should be like damp sand and with a minute kneading, come together to form a dough. Split into two balls and cover with cling film and rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Step 2 - Meanwhile make the filling. Add the oil to a frypan on high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the curry powder, cumin, paprika, turmeric and all spice and fry for 1 minute. Then add the beef and break up with the turner making sure that the beef is coated in the spices. Add the chillies, half chicken stock, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme and simmer until beef is cooked through. Spread out on a tray to cool.
Step 3 - Preheat oven to 205C/401F and line four trays with parchment (this makes a lot!). Generously flour a large clean surface and roll out one ball of pastry-you want it 3mm/1/8 inch thick. Cut out circles-I used 10cm/4inch rounds and place a heaped teaspoon of cooled filling. Fold it over and press down securely. Then use the tines of a fork to press down further. Bake (unglazed) in the oven for 20 minutes.