Jamaican Patty Pot Pie

Jamaican patties are one of my favourite foods ever but definitely not something I want to make at home all the time. I’m not a fan of tedious tasks in the kitchen like stuffing and wrapping individual patties - that's more of a once a year type of recipe for me. This pie gives you all the flavours of a Jamaican patty without having to individually make a dozen of them. The flakey pie crust is made with butter and margarine (make sure to use both, you’ll get a more authentic crust) as well as curry powder and turmeric for color. The filling is a typical, juicy beef patty filling, made a little spicy with West Indian pepper sauce. Perfect for the cool autumn season.

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Jamaican Patty Pot Pie

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Cook Time: 65 minutes Yield: 1 pie 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the Crust

• 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp West Indian/Jamaican curry powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

• 1/2 cup cold vegetable margarine

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup ice cold water

For the Filling

• 1 lb ground beef (not lean)

• 1 tbs West Indian/Jamaican pepper sauce (adjust accordingly to spice level)

• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 4 green onions, minced (white part included)

• 1 tsp West Indian/Jamaican curry powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tsp a fresh)

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp allspice

• 1/2 of a beef bouillon cube

• 2 cups water

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbs soy sauce

• 1 cup soft breadcrumbs

• 1 egg for the egg wash

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the crust. Combine the flour, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add in the butter and margarine, and use a pastry cutter to cut in the fat. Alternatively, you can use your fingers to 'pinch' in the fat until the butter and margarine are the size of peas. Stir in the cold water, little by little, using your hands to knead the dough. When the dough starts coming together, dump the dough on to the counter and knead into a large circle. You may not need all of the water, so make sure not to add it all at once.

2. Once the dough has formed, cut it into 2 equal pieces and flatten each piece into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour while you make the filling.

3. To prepare the filling, sauté the ground beef and West Indian pepper sauce in a medium sized saucepan over high heat until all of the water that comes out of the beef evaporates, approx 8-12 mins, stirring often. Make a well in the centre of the pan and add the olive oil, onion, green onion, and garlic, and sauté another 4-5 mins. Add all of the spices and sauté another minute, then add the water, bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the water reduces by half, about 10-15 mins.

4. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook for another 1-2 minutes, then remove the filling from the heat. Allow to cook completely.

5. Once you are ready to bake your pie, preheat the oven to 350 F while you prepare it. Remove the pie crust from the fridge and roll out the first piece to cover the base of an 11 inch pie pan. Press the crust into the pan, and cut off any excess dough around the edges. Pour the cooled filling into the pie and smooth out. Roll out the second piece of dough to cover the top. Press the dough on top of the filling, and pinch around the edges to seal the pie. Use a fork to poke holes in the top of the crust, then brush it with a beaten egg. Bake the pie for 55-65 minutes, until golden and flakey. Let cool slightly before serving.