Need help making Jamaican patty?

Question

I have a friend who grew up in Jamaica. He enjoys food a lot and has a very discriminating palate. (That is not to say he's picky; he isn't. What I mean is, he has a developed sense of flavor.) I cook for him a lot, and I really like cooking. I want to try to make him patties. He doesn't know anyone who will tell their secrets on how to make them. He says most people he knows, for that matter, purchase their patties at a very well-renowned Jamaican bakery in town. I want to try my hand at making them from scratch. I realize that it will be difficult, but I have a lot of baking experience and have made croissants and other flaky pastries from scratch. Any advice appreciated- even if you don't have a recipe, I'd appreciate some advice on theory and principles.

Answer 1

I am a former chef form Canada and have worked in jamaica, and live in Toronto, and I am a Patty-Nut.

If you have been able to make a general pastry then you have the dough down, it is just made with a bit of margarine and shrotening, water, flour, salt and a pinch of turmeric for colour, or curry powder if you don't have the turmeric.

The meat filling is a option to, I like beef, have had chicken and veggie ones, the laters is just a mix of frozen veg and mashed potatos, onions cooked in oil with seasonings Salt pepper, curry or just a bit of garlic and thyme) and made into a filling, the chicken and beef can be made from gorund meat, cooked with onions, garlic, a scotch bonnet pepper, seasonings (same as a bove) a few breadcrumbs, worchester sauce, cooled then rolled into the pastry.

Make the dough and chill it, then the filling, portion out for small 12 for bigger 8, roll them into circles, add the cooled filling, fold over and like a fruit turnover, use a fork or crimp the edges, brush with milk and bake at 350 d F for 25-30 minutes. Like any thing they are better cooled and reheat the same or next day. Good Luck, I hope your friend appreciates the effort your going to, but I will give you a recipe site to for reference, print it out for the next time.

Answer 2

You seem to be very picky about your question, and probably will not get all the answers you expect. BUT, I have a Jamaican friend that enjoys his patties too. And this is the web site really "SHOWS" how to make it. You look and you decide:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?show...

They are very similar to a Brazilian "Pastel de Carne". But the brazilian recipe is made with a specific corn flour.