What makes a good Jamaican Patty?

The most popular Jamaican snack you can find is the Jamaican Patty, perfect to eat on the go and available worldwide! Jamaican Patties are for everybody! But what makes a good Jamaican Patty? We have broken down the 5 things we, here at Mr. Patties, believe are essential to making the perfect Patty:

Making A Mess: Our Jamaican Beef Patties are delicious!

Pastry

Getting the right pastry for your Jamaican Patty is essential as it is the first thing you taste and it is the golden casing that will hold everything together. At Mr. Patties, we believe the flakier the better, and any time you eat a Patty you should actually get into quite a mess! However, some Patties are actually made with a shortcrust type pastry and a denser, less flakier consistency.

Either way, a good Patty pastry should melt in your mouth and not feel soggy (which is a common occurrence when people microwave their Patties). Of course speed is important, especially when you’re hungry, but pre- heting your oven and waiting 15 minutes will make it a much better experience (we promise!).

Another attribute essential to the pastry of a Jamaican Patty is Turmeric, which gives the pastry its traditional yellow colour. Turmeric is also proven to have health benefits due to its bioactive compounds, reducing inflammation and also reducing the risk of heart disease. 

Filling

Whatever you plan to fill your Patty with, it must be well seasoned. The most popular filling in a Jamaican Patty is Beef, we even have a Cheezee Beef Patty! But there is literally an unlimited amount of flavour combinations you could come up with. Being based in England, we came up with the idea for a Cheezee Tuna with Sweetcorn filling as it is a popular filling for lunches here.

Using fresh ingredients is also important, especially if you can get your hands on some fresh Callaloo, one of our personal favourites. Callaloo may taste great but it also has many health benefits, it can improve digestive health, reduces your risk of getting cancer and also helps towards keeping our brains healthy due to its high tocotrienol content!

A useful tip: It is also vital that you do not overcook your Patty so that the filling becomes dry. Although the crust of your Jamaican Patty should be baked well, the filling should stay moist to give a contrast to the crispy casing. To ensure your Patties doesn’t dry out, always ensure to pre-heat your oven before baking for best results.

Your filling should never be dry, always cook your Jamaican patties in a pre-heated oven for best results.

Seasoning

As we just mentioned, seasoning is the be all and end all of your Patty. No matter how good your pastry is, no how matter how much your Lamb costs, it will be squandered if you haven’t seasoned your filling well. Salt, Pepper and All Purpose Seasoning are a must, along with herbs and spices such as Thyme, Pimento, Turmeric, Scallion, Garlic and Ginger. 

Using pepper also adds to the flavour of the Patty, although spice isn’t for everybody. Pimento seeds add a bold spice without heat, and is also a common flavour in Caribbean cuisine. Seasoning your Patty well is a key stage of the Patty process – but don’t expect too much help from your peers if you try to make your own, most of them will keep their special blends a closely guarded secret.

Spice

We love Scotch Bonnet, which you will know if you’ve tasted our Jerk (BBQ) Chicken and Jerk Salmon patties. The Scotch Bonnet pepper is used in many Jamaican recipes and adds a unique depth of flavour along with its fiery kick.

There are of course many people who do not like spice, which is why some of our own Jamaican Patties are milder than others. Our Chicken patty has a mild spice to it, however our Jerk Salmon patty is made for those who want a kick to their food. 

Temperature

HOT! A patty should be eaten whilst hot, although do mind not to burn yourself! Delivering a Patty whilst hot will ensure it maintains its peak flavour, although they are of course still edible when cold if you enjoy cold foods.

As previously mentioned, approximately 15 minutes in a hot oven should reward you with a piping hot Jamaican Patty with a flaky, melt in your mouth crust. 

However you enjoy your Patties, we can say for sure that there is a Jamaican Patty for everybody. Whether you enjoy seafood or even if you’re a Vegan, we all have our preferences but they can all be encapsulated within a Jamaican Patty.

Please leave us a comment and let us know what makes up your favourite Jamaican Patty?

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