Jamaican Beef Patties

Filling

• sunflower oil2 tbsp
• onions1
• spring onions3
• garlic3 clove
• scotch bonnet chillies1
• minced beef500 g
• Jamaican curry powder2 tsp
• ground allspice1 tsp
• smoked paprika1 tsp
• fresh thyme1 tbsp
• beef stock200 ml
• breadcrumbs40 g
• salt1 tsp
• black pepper½ tsp

Pastry

• plain flour400 g
• ground turmeric2 tsp
• Jamaican curry powder1 tsp
• salt1 tsp
• butter150 g
• lard75 g
• water120 ml

Glaze

• eggs1
• ground turmeric¼ tsp

Filling

1. 01

   Finely chop the onion and garlic, finely slice the spring onions, and deseed and finely chop the scotch bonnet chilli, wearing gloves if you have them. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion, spring onions, garlic and scotch bonnet chilli for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and just beginning to catch at the edges.

2. 02

   Turn the heat up, add the minced beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, until the liquid it releases has cooked away and the meat is browned in patches rather than grey.

3. 03

   Stir in the curry powder, the allspice, the paprika, the thyme leaves, picked from the stalks, salt and freshly ground pepper and fry for 1 minute, then pour in the stock and scrape everything off the base of the pan.

4. 04

   Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the breadcrumbs and cook for 2 minutes more. The filling should mound on the spoon with no loose liquid left in the pan. Spread it out on a plate and cool it completely.

Pastry

5. 05

   Whisk the flour, turmeric, curry powder and salt together in a bowl. The turmeric is there for colour rather than flavour, and the dough will look alarmingly yellow.

6. 06

   Rub in the lard until it disappears into the flour. Cut the cold butter into 1 cm cubes, add it and toss it through, flattening each cube between finger and thumb but leaving the pieces visible. Those sheets of butter are what make the baked crust flake.

7. 07

   Add the ice-cold water a little at a time, cutting it through with a knife until the dough just holds together when pressed. Shape it into a flat rectangle, wrap it and chill for 30 minutes.

8. 08

   On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 1 cm thick, fold it in three like a letter, turn it 90 degrees and roll it out again. Fold once more, then wrap and chill for a further 30 minutes.

Assembly

9. 09

   Set the oven to 200°C and put baking paper on two trays.

10. 10

    Roll the dough out to about 3 mm and cut eight 15 cm circles, re-rolling the offcuts once.

11. 11

    Spoon three heaped tablespoons of cold filling onto half of each round, keeping 1.5 cm of bare pastry at the edge. Wet that edge, bring the free half across into a half-moon, and press outwards from the mound so the trapped air is driven to the rim. Finish by walking a fork along the seam.

12. 12

    Beat the glaze egg with the turmeric and brush it over the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is deep gold and firm, swapping the trays over halfway. Cool for 10 minutes before eating, as the filling holds a lot of heat.