Jamaican beef patties recipe

Spice things up with these delicious Jamaican beef patties - a bit of effort to make but definitely worth the taste sensation

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp deseeded and chopped fresh chilli
• 500g (1lb) lean minced beef
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 tbsp medium curry powder
• 225g canned chopped tomatoes
• 150ml (5fl oz) hot beef stock
• 90g (3oz) frozen peas
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, to glaze

For the pastry:

• 500g (1lb) plain flour, sifted
• 2 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 250g (8oz) butter, chilled and cubed
• 2 baking sheets, lined with baking parchment

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for 5 mins, to soften. Add the garlic, chilli and minced beef, and cook for 10 mins, breaking up the meat with a spatula until it’s browned all over.
2. Add the carrot and curry powder, and fry for a couple of mins, then add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and simmer for 20 mins, until the meat is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the peas and leave to cool.
3. To make the pastry: Put all the pastry ingredients into a food processor and whizz for a few seconds until the mixture forms crumbs. Add 8 tbsp ice-cold water and whizz again until the pastry forms a ball. Take out, wrap in cling film and chill for 10 mins.
4. Set the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200°C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured surface. Use a 15cm (6in) saucer to stamp out 8 rounds of pastry. Re-roll pastry trimmings and cut out 2 more rounds.
5. Put a generous spoonful of beef mixture on one half of each pastry round, leaving a 1cm (½in) border around the edge. Brush the edges with water and then fold the pastry over the meat. Press edges down to seal and pinch edge. Pierce the top of each patty with the fork and put them on the baking sheets.
6. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 25 mins, until the pastry is golden, the base is firm and the filling is piping hot.