JAMAICA PATTIES

You should get about a dozen patties out of the quantities below,
depending on the size of the plate you use to cut out the pastry.
Like most other pies and pasties these make a great alternative
to sandwiches for a packed lunch – that is, until primary schools
with ‘healthy schools status’ decide to ban pastry from the
children’s lunch boxes on the grounds that it contains more calories
than wholemeal bread. (Well it wouldn’t surprise me. That’s how
daft some of these new rules and regulations are.)
For the pastry
1 lb (500 g) plain flour
1 tbsp turmeric (or 1 sachet from a refill box)
1⁄2 lb (225 g) butter
3⁄4 mug ice-cold water
1 beaten egg (plus water)
For the filling
1 lb (500 g) beef mince
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 heaped tsp chilli powder (or less!)
2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 beef stock cube
Method
1. Sift the flour and turmeric into a large mixing bowl and slightly
soften the butter in the microwave (on defrost for about 30
seconds) then add the butter to the bowl in small pieces and
rub the fat into the flour until it resembles medium-fine
breadcrumbs.
2. Add about half the cold water to the mixture in the bowl and
pinch the mixture together with your hands to make a fairly
stiff dough, adding a little more water if necessary.
3. Put the dough in a polythene food bag or wrap it in cling film
and leave it to rest in the fridge while you get on with the
filling.
4. Dry fry the mince in a large pan while you finely chop the
onions, then add them to the pan and cook for a few minutes
until the meat is brown and the onions have softened.
5. Strain all the fat out of the pan and dissolve the stock cube in
a mug of boiling water, then add the stock to the meat followed
by the chilli powder, curry powder, crushed garlic and tomato
purée.
6. Stir well and allow the meat to simmer for at least 20 minutes
until the sauce thickens nicely. (Adjust the sauce by adding a
little more water and/or more tomato purée if you like.)
7. Allow the meat sauce to cool while you preheat the oven to
Gas Mark 6 (200ºC) and lightly grease two large baking
sheets. Beat the egg in a mug with 3 or 4 tablespoons of cold
water.
8. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each half out, one at
a time, cutting around a small side plate or saucer to make the
patties and re-rolling the trimmings to make more as necessary.
9. Put roughly 1 tbsp of meat in the centre of each pastry round
and use the egg/water mixture to wet the edges of the pastry.
10. Fold each pastry in half over its filling to make a semi-circular
patty, pressing the edges down with a fork and piercing fork
holes in the centre of each patty two or three times.
11. Glaze the patties with more of the egg/water mixture, place
on the greased baking trays and cook in the oven for about 20
minutes until the pastry is firm and golden.
12. Serve hot or cold, on their own or with Cheesy Corn Fritters