The third instalment of The Dinner Party Club took place last night and boy was it a good one! Jamaicaniiiiiice, Jamaicanice, Jamaicanice! Oh em gee you must listen to this song right now as it is Yellowman who we must thank for inspiring the party theme and name. Thank you Yellowman!
Jamaicanice was an obvious choice to follow Tacocaine, and, of course, it got just as good of an invite. Yes, that is a heart-shaped wreath made entirely from Jamaican Beef Patties surrounding Kamber Wose-Rest. Remember my #1 lesson in dinner party hosting? Don’t slack on the invite!
So, the menu. What did we have? Jerk chicken wings, homemade Jamaican beef patties, rice salad with pineapple, creamy coleslaw and chicken curry roti with plantain! I’ll let you in on a little secret: I MADE THE HOMEMADE PATTIES ALL BY MYSELF FROM SCRATCH. EVEN THE PASTRY. YES I DID! Here’s another secret: I’m going to give you my recipe, surprise! You’re welcome 
And you will get it as soon as you scroll through this little photo diary of the party…
1. No dinner table? No problem! Do it buffet + house party styles.
2. Who says Jerk Chicken Wings can’t bring you happiness!?
3. Up the ante at your next dinner party with a DJ! Meet Nick, one half of the incredible DJ duo Phantom Signal! Ps. They have a monthly spot at 416 Snackbar (my fave bar!) that is a Saturday night must.
4. Tip: When hosting a big group in a small space, make sure that everyone likes each other.
RECIPE: JAMAICAN BEEF PATTIES!
Pastry:
1lb flour
1/2 cup ice cold water
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1 Teaspoon of baking powder
1 Teaspoon of curry powder medium hot
1 Teaspoon on turmeric or 1 drop of annotto
Filling:
1lb ground beef
1 medium onion
4 scallion (or 1 more medium onion)
2 stalks fresh thyme or 2 tsps ground thyme
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 scotch bonnet pepper (or 1 tbsp curry powder / chilli sauce)
2 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions:
Sieve flour. Stir in baking powder, curry powder, salt and turmeric. Work the butter and shortening in with fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly drizzle in the water until the mixture has a dough-like consistency (it should only be slightly sticky). Roll the dough in to a ball. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Note: This pastry is very dry to work with, a tip from Chef Matthew that worked really well is to wet your hands as you knead the dough until you get a manageable consistency.
Preparation – filling
Cut onion + scallion in to fine pieces and fry gently – so they do not quite get time to brown. Add meat, thyme, garlic, peppers (finely chopped), salt, pepper, paprika, sugar and nutmeg.Fry until mixture is fairly dry, drain off excess fat if necessary. Add water and breadcrumbs, cook until the mixture has a thick, saucy texture
Combining the pastry and filling
Roll the pastry on a floured board until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut as many circles (about the size of a saucer) out of the dough as you can. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling on one side of each pastry circle. Moisten the edges of each patty with water and fold pastry over to make a crescent shape. Seal the edge of each patty by crimping with a fork.
Cooking
Preheat oven to 375 deg f, 200 C or gas mark 6
Place patties on aluminium foil
Cook for 35 minutes (or until golden brown)