How to make Jamaican patties at home
It can be argued that the Jamaican patty is one of Toronto’s staple food items. Everyone I know will fiercely defend their favourite spot, whether it’s Randy’s, Tastee, Patty King, Caribbean Queen, or even the ones at the Bathurst subway station. The aroma of curried beef wafts through the patty shops along Little Jamaica on Eglinton Ave. W., and for many kids, including the Toronto-born but Florida-raised chef Suzanne Barr, it was the go-to after-school snack.
“My dad used to make patties in the house, so much so that he wanted to open a patty shop in Florida but I think my mom kiboshed it,” says Barr, who was previously the chefowner of the now-closed Saturday Dinette and is focusing on her new Kid Chocolate spot on Gerrard St. E. near Logan Ave. “But at home my dad would make the filling and dough and my sis and I would fold over the patties in an assembly line. We’d freeze them and that would be our after-school snack. I’ve been eating patties my whole life.”
For this past summer, Barr was the Gladstone Hotel’s first chef-in-residency, taking over the kitchen of the hotel’s cafe (until Sept. 28) and creating a dinner menu inspired by her family’s Jamaican heritage with dishes such as jerk chicken ramen with pineapple sofrito, pickled pigs feet with charred sugar cane and chicharron tripe, callaloo (stewed greens) fried rice and a daily selection of patties with rotating flavours. While spiced, curry beef is the most popular filling, Barr loves the patty’s turmeric-tinged, flaky pie crust for a versatility that’s fit for a multitude of flavours.
“We’ve done jerk chicken patties as well as ackee and salt fish. We’ve done a blueberry compote with house labneh, roasted plantains with cinnamon, a cheese bomb that’s stuffed with five different cheeses and scotch bonnet, a spinach callaloo.”
Barr serves miniversions of the patties, perfect for parties or as an appetizer. The key to a good patty, Barr says, is to keep the filling a little runny so that it oozes out of the patty upon the first bite.
“The worst thing you can serve somebody is a dry patty.”
Suzanne Barr’s Jamaican Beef Patties
Star Tested Barr prefers using animal fat for the patty dough, saying that it adds a distinct savoury flavour, but shortening will also work for a vegetarian pie crust (try diced roasted vegetables or fruit spiced with warm cinnamon and allspice as a filling).
For the patty dough:
4 cups (1 L) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) ground turmeric
1 cup plus 2 tbsp (280 mL) cold lard or shortening, cut into small cubes
2/3 cup (160 mL) ice cold water, plus more as needed
For the beef patty filling:
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
1 lb (450 g) medium ground beef
1 tsp (5 mL) ground allspice
2 tsp (10 mL) ground turmeric 1 large yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme leaves
1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced
1/4 cup (60 mL) Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) light Chinese soy sauce Kosher salt and pepper, to taste Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional) Splash of beef broth, as needed
1 large egg, beaten for the wash
To make patty dough, in a large mixing bowl, stir together flour and turmeric. Using a pastry cutter or fork, incorporate fat and mix until a coarse sand texture is formed. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to mix until a smooth dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add beef and sauté till no longer pink. Stir in allspice and turmeric until beef is evenly coated. Add onion, garlic, thyme and scotch bonnet. Continue to stir until beef begins to brown. Add Worcestershire and soy sauces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For additional heat, add cayenne to taste. Continue to cook until beef is nicely browned and still a bit wet, deglaze pan with a splash of beef broth if filling becomes dry.
To assemble patties, pinch off a golf ball-sized piece of patty dough and roll into a flat, 5-inch (13-cm) circle. Spoon about1-1/2 tablespoons of beef filling into one side of dough. Fold dough circle in half and press edges together to create a half-moon. Use a fork to crimp edges and trim off any excess dough around edges with a knife.
Transfer patties to two large, lined baking sheets. Brush tops of patties with egg wash and season lightly with salt. Bake patties for 10 to 15 minutes, or until dough becomes flakey and slightly browned.
Makes about 18 mini patties. karonliu@thestar.ca