Jamaican Chicken Patties
DH and I are celebrating our 20th/23rd anniversary this year, and we thought it would be cool to revisit the spot where we took our honeymoon, in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Great beach, warm waters, and the food, oh the food! I remembered this little treat fondly, and was thrilled to find it hasn’t changed a bit. Patties are like pasties in the UK, a dough pocket filled with minced meat. I love these—they are delicious. Not necessarily good for you… but delicious. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Pastry:
1 ½ tsp curry powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups flour
½ cup butter (or vegetable shortening or margarine)
¼ tsp baking powder
5 Tbs ice water
Filling:
1 pound ground chicken (or beef, or turkey, or pork)
1 small onion – chopped fine
½ red bell pepper ‐ chopped
1 large clove garlic ‐ minced
1 tsp thyme
2 teaspoons curry powder or to taste
1 Scotch Bonnet chili pepper, seeded and fine chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water or beef broth
1/4 cup flour
Directions
To make the pastry:
Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and curry powder in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Working quickly and using your fingertips, squeeze together the flour mixture and butter and toss it together by scooping under the mixture with both hands. When the mixture resembles a very coarse meal, add the water to the bowl.
With floured hands, mix and squeeze the dough just until it forms a ball. Knead it once or twice to combine it fully (the less kneading, the better). Spread the dough into 2 pieces, flattening each into a thick pancake. Wrap in plastic and set them in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes. (The dough will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Remove it from the refrigerator a few minutes before using it.)
To make the filling:
EVOO sauté onions, peppers, garlic and chili pepper until softened.
Add ground meat and cook and stir and break up meat until meat is browned and cooked. Add remaining ingredients and cook and stir until mixture is fully cooked and thickened. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings and cool.
Assemble Your Patties:
Remove pastry from refrigerator and let soften at room temperature about 15 minutes.
Roll pastry out on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out circles with a 4 inch circular cutter or cut size as desired.
Place some filling in center of circle and fold over edges to seal and prick edges with tinges of a fork.
Bake 400F until golden, about 15 mins. for small pieces, 20 mins for medium pieces and 25 to 30 mins for larger pieces. Yield: 12 medium, 6 large or 24 appetizers.