Jamaican Beef Patties with Flaky Turmeric Pastry for After-School Snacking

Whisk the flour, turmeric and salt together, then cut in the cold butter with your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of peas.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup ice water
• 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup beef broth

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, turmeric and salt together, then cut in the cold butter with your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of peas.
2. Add the ice water a little at a time, mixing only until the dough holds together, then wrap and chill for at least an hour.
3. Brown the beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up well, then drain off all but a tablespoon of fat.
4. Add the onion, scallions, thyme, curry powder and Scotch bonnet and cook 5 minutes until the onion is soft and the kitchen smells sharp and warm.
5. Stir in the breadcrumbs and broth and simmer 8 minutes until the filling is moist but not wet, then cool it completely.
6. Roll the dough out to an eighth of an inch and cut six-inch rounds, rerolling the scraps once.
7. Mound filling on one half of each round, fold over, seal firmly, and crimp the edge with a fork.
8. Bake at 400F for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is deep gold and blistered, and cool 10 minutes before eating.
9. Every Jamaican town has a patty shop, and the after-school patty is close to a national institution, eaten hot out of a paper bag on the walk home. The turmeric in the pastry is what gives the crust its unmistakable yellow and a faint earthiness against the peppery beef. These freeze beautifully unbaked, so build a double batch on a Sunday and bake them straight from the freezer with an extra eight minutes.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 430 kcal
• Protein: 16g
• Fat: 27g
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 480mg