Jamaican Curry Chicken Patties (Print Version)
Flaky turmeric pastry wrapped around spiced curried chicken — a Caribbean street-food staple.
# What You Need:
→ Flaky Turmeric-Curry Pastry
01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
04 - 1 teaspoon Jamaican curry powder
05 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
06 - 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
07 - ½ cup ice water (plus more as needed)
→ Aromatic Curry Chicken Filling
08 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
09 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
10 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and finely minced (optional, adjust to taste)
12 - 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder
13 - ½ teaspoon ground allspice
14 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small dice
15 - 1 small Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
16 - ¾ cup chicken broth
17 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
18 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
19 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
20 - ¼ cup coconut milk
→ Assembly
21 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash, optional)
# Directions:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, turmeric, curry powder, and sugar. Add the cubed cold butter and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Drizzle in the ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion until softened and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and scotch bonnet pepper, stirring for 30 seconds until fragrant. Sprinkle in the curry powder and ground allspice, toasting the spices for 1 minute to bloom their flavors.
03 - Add the diced chicken thighs to the skillet and brown lightly on all sides, about 3 minutes. Stir in the diced potato, chicken broth, and fresh thyme leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the potato is fork-tender and the chicken is cooked through.
04 - Remove the lid and stir in the sliced scallions and coconut milk. Continue cooking uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the filling thickens to a cohesive mixture. Remove from heat and let cool completely to room temperature.
05 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to approximately ⅛ inch thickness. Using a 6-inch round cutter or bowl as a guide, cut out circles and place them on a parchment-lined surface. Re-roll scraps as needed.
06 - Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cooled filling onto one half of each dough circle, leaving a ½-inch border. Fold the dough over to form a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly with a fork to crimp and seal. Arrange the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
07 - Brush the tops of each patty with the beaten egg wash for a rich golden finish. Bake on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp to the touch.
08 - Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the patties cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The filling will be extremely hot straight from the oven. Serve warm alongside mango chutney or a simple green salad.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The turmeric stained pastry looks like it came straight from a Kingston bakery stall.
- You can freeze them unbaked and have fresh patties on demand for weeks.
02 -
- If the filling is even slightly warm when you fill the pastry, the butter will melt and you will lose every bit of flakiness.
- Do not skip the rest time for the dough, as impatiently rolled pastry shrinks and tears in the oven.
03 -
- Grate the cold butter instead of cubing it for faster, more even distribution with less handling.
- Dust your work surface with curry powder instead of flour when rolling for an extra layer of flavor in the crust.