2cupsall purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - white flour
1teaspoonturmeric
1teaspoonsalt
12tablespoonsbutter - or 1 1/2 sticks, cold, unsalted
½cupwater - ice water
TO MAKE THE FILLING:
1smallwhite onion - minced
1smallscotch bonnet pepper - or two jalapeno peppers, minced
1tablespoonolive oil
½poundground chicken (minced chicken) - or beef
¼teaspoondried thyme
¼teaspoonchili powder (chilli powder in British English)
½teaspoondried rosemary
¼cupchicken stock (chicken broth or chicken bouillon) - or beef stock
¼cupwater
1pinchsalt - to taste
Instructions
Whisk together the turmeric, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter while it’s still cold into tablespoon-size pieces and drop into the flour. Using your fingers, break up the butter in the flour until it resembles pea-sized pieces. Mix the ice water with a wooden spoon until a very shaggy dough forms. You will still have big lumps of butter and lots of unincorporated flour. Dump the whole thing out on the counter and, using the heel of your hand, drag a portion of the dough from one end of the pile to the opposite end. Repeat this procedure until a dough forms. At this point, you should not have any big lumps of butter, and the dough will be smooth and uniform. Use plastic wrap to wrap the dough and refrigerate while you make the filling.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium-size skillet. Then, add the onion and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes, often stirring until they soften. Next, add the ground chicken or beef and the thyme, chili powder and rosemary—Brown the meat for about 10 minutes until it is no longer pink. Add the stock and water, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the liquid is reduced to a sauce.
Divide the dough, re-warp one half in plastic and return to the fridge. Place the other half on a floured surface and roll out to 1/8 of an inch thick. Using a 5-inch diameter round cutter (I used an upside-down bowl), cut out 4 circles. Place 2 scant tablespoons of filling on one half of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border near the edge. Using your fingertip, moisten the edge with a bit of water, fold the dough over and seal with a fork. Repeat the procedure with the second half of the dough.
At this point, you can freeze the patties if you are making them ahead. Place them on a baking sheet and stick them in the freezer for about half an hour. When they are frozen enough to hold their shape and not stick together, place them in a single layer in a large freezer bag. When you are ready to bake, simply place the frozen patties in a 350ºF oven for about 40 minutes.
If you are cooking them the right way, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cook the patties on an ungreased baking sheet for 22-25 minutes. Serve hot.