Globecooking recipe : Cheat's Jamaican Patties

Jamican patties are little pastry parcels, similar to pasties, filled with a curried mince and pea mixture. The pastry is usually made with turmeric to give it a lovely yellow colour, but I was in a rush so I cheated, using ready-made puff pastry and brushing the tops with melted butter mixed with turmeric. This worked just as well and made them a fuss-free mid week meal that the whole family enjoyed.

 Cheat's Jamaican Patties

ingredients :

1 pack ready made puff pastry

1tbsp butter

1 tsp turmeric

1 pack minced beef

drizzle of olive oil

1 onion

2tsp curry powder (to taste)

salt, pepper

a small amount of beef stock (optional)

1/2 cup frozen peas

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions for 2 minutes, then add the mince and cook until it is completely brown.

Add the frozen peas and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and add the curry powder. You can add a very small amount of beef stock if you want a moister filling but you don't want it too runny or it will be hard to fill the pastry cases.

Cut circles out of the pastry.

Hold a circle of pastry in one hand, dollop a spoon full of filling in the middle and use your fingers to flip over the other half of the disc and crimp the edges, making sure it is sealed all the way round. Melt the butter, mix in the turmeric and brush the tops of the patties.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 200° until puffed up and browned. Serve with rice and mango salsa (mango, red pepper, spring onion and a squeeze of lime juice).

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