Jamaican beef patties
These spicy Jamaican patties are a traditional staple in the Caribbean. They make a great picnic or barbecue addition.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1½ tbsp Madras curry powder
- 1½ tbsp ground turmeric
- pinch salt
- 165g/5¾oz unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
For the filling
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp Madras curry powder
- 2½ tbsp snipped chives
- 1½ tbsp chopped thyme leaves
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú lean beef mince
- 125ml/4fl oz beef stock
- 1 tsp molasses sugar (or dark brown sugar)
- 1 tsp Scotch bonnet hot sauce or 1cm/½in piece Scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
- 1 slice white or wholemeal bread, torn into tiny pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the ginger-citrus dressing
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1½ tsp honey
- 1½ tsp caster sugar
- 1½ tsp grated ginger
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
Method
For the pastry, sift together the flour, curry powder, turmeric and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand. With the motor running, gradually add 4–6 tablespoons of ice cold water until the dough starts to come together. Add just enough water to bind the dough.
Roll the dough into a ball and wrap in cling film. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. (You can also prepare the pastry for this recipe in advance, just bring it back to room temperature before rolling out).
For the filling, heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5–10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, curry powder, chives and thyme (and if you are using fresh Scotch bonnet, add this now too). Leave to cook for another minute, until the aromas are released. Add the minced beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and allow it to brown all over for about 5 minutes.
Add the stock, sugar and scotch bonnet hot sauce, bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the bread, return the lid to the pan and let the mixture continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out with a flour-dusted rolling pin onto a large sheet of greaseproof paper to a thickness of about 3mm. Cut out six circles from the pastry, using a side plate as a guide for the sizing.
Divide the filling between the six circles, spooning the mixture on to one half of each pastry circle and leaving space around the edge to allow for sealing the pastry. Wet the edges of the pastry and fold the non-filled half of the pastry over the filled half and use a fork to press down all around the edges.
Place the patties on a baking tray, brush with the egg and bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.
For the ginger-citrus dressing, whisk together all the ingredients, ensuring they are well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
For the salad, arrange the tomato, orange and red onion on serving plates and pour over the dressing. Sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Leave to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature, to allow the flavours to develop.
Serve the patties with the salad alongside.