Turkey Curry Patties

Hi, this recipe is from the BBC Goodfood magazine December 2020 issue page 50, alternatively it can be found online too. I made this as a mother's day present for my mum this year and it was so fun and the result extremely rewarding. First, I made the curry 2 days in advance to mothering Sunday (Friday) and left the flavours to develop overnight and during part of the next day (Saturday). On Saturday, I made the pastry and baked the patties until firm, before covering them up with tea towels to keep it a surprise for mum. The next morning, (Mother's Day) I arranged a few nicely on a board and gave them to my mum. She was delighted with them and instantly, after breakfast, tucked into one. She really liked them and they were easily frozen too, so we could keep a few for another time. Additionally, these can be eaten hot or cold, they are equally delicious both ways, but if you are reheating after leaving in the fridge or the freezer, and they are cooked, you don't want to burn the pastry, so cover them in tin foil on a tray while heating until piping hot. Enjoy!

Dietary Info:
-Unsuitable for Vegans/Vegetarians (You could substitute the turkey for tofu chunks, use a favourite vegan curry recipe instead, there are a few good ones on my blog, or put your own twist on it. TIP: If using a different curry recipe, you don't want it to be too runny, see step 3 for more detail. For the butter you could use this Vegan alternative in place and for the eggs, I think adding some extra milk would work for binding purposes, obviously if you are vegan you could use a plant-based alternative for milk, see below.)
-Contains Dairy (Use a plant-based alternative for milk: cashew, soya, almond, coconut etc.., for the butter see above for suggestions)
-No Nuts
-Contains Gluten (You can use a G-F flour but you may need to add some extra milk or eggs as G-F flour tends to absorb more liquids than generic flour)
-Main Meal/ Snack

Makes 10 patties {It made 9 for me}
Prep 1hr plus chilling and cooling
Cook 30mins

Ingredients:
-2tbsp vegetable oil
-1 medium onion, finely chopped
-1 large tomato, chopped
-3 thyme sprigs {I used dried thyme}
-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-1 scotch bonnet chilli, chopped (optional) {I used an ordinary red chilli}
-2+1/2cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
-1tsp ground turmeric
-2tsp each ground coriander
-2tsp ground cumin
-1/2tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2tsp ground allspice {I used garam masala}
-300g leftover roast turkey, chopped {I used chicken, I had to fry the chicken in chunks in advance though as the recipe is suggesting that the turkey is already cooked}
-350ml turkey or chicken stock
For the pastry:
-600g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
-4tsp ground turmeric
-1tsp mild curry powder
-1tsp sugar
-300g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
-100g vegetable shortening, grated (or use very cold butter) {I used extra unsalted butter}
-2 large eggs
-1tsp white wine vinegar
-splash of milk

Method:
1:First, make the pastry. Combine the flour, spices, sugar and 1 tsp salt. Rub in the butter and shortening with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. {This could take some time, it took me just over 20mins!!}Whisk 1 egg and the vinegar together, then tip into the flour mixture. Bring together into a dough using your hands, adding 3-6 tbsp {I would have needed 4 and a half, but I wasn't to know so I added 5tbsp and had to add extra flour to my dough} water if needed until just pliable. {I forgot until now to add the shortening/extra grated butter, which was actually a good mistake, I added it in now with the egg and it melted as I kneaded the dough, helping it to come together more}  Knead for 3-5 mins, then cover and chill for 30 mins. Remove from the fridge 30 mins before you’re ready to use. {If you like, you could prepare the dough the night before too, it doesn't have to be in the fridge for explicitly 30mins, just out 30mins before as it will go solid and needs time to come to room temp}
2:Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 10 mins until softened. Add the tomato, thyme, garlic, chilli, if using, and ginger. Fry for a further 3 mins. Mix all the spices with a few tablespoons of water, then add to the pan. Fry for another 5 mins until the water evaporates and the spices are fragrant.
3:Add the turkey and fry for 5 mins. Pour in the stock, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 mins until most of the liquid has reduced. {You only want a small amount of stock otherwise your patties will go soggy, so don't worry if it looks a bit dry, obviously not bone dry but you don't want a super creamy, luxurious sauce either}Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Chill until ready to use. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs. {I left mine in the sauce pan, at room temp, for 24hours, it was fine}
4:Heat the oven to 180℃/160℃ fan/gas 6/320℉. Roll the chilled pastry out on a floured surface or sheet of baking parchment (this helps prevent the turmeric from staining the surface) to a 4mm thickness. If it starts to crack, press small pieces of the pastry into the gaps to fill. Using a 15cm-diameter bowl as a template, cut out as many circles of pastry as you can, then re-roll the offcuts and repeat until all the pastry has been used. You should end up with about 10 circles. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
5:Working with one pastry circle at a time, spoon 2 tbsp of the turkey curry filling onto one side of the circle, leaving a 2cm border. Beat the remaining egg with the milk and brush onto the border. Fold one half of the pastry over the other to form a semicircle and enclose the filling. Press the edges together, seal with a fork and prick the top all over.
6:Bake for 20-25 mins, or until the pastry is firm. {It took mine 35-40mins} Leave to cool slightly and serve. After cooling completely, will keep in the freezer for up to three months. {These can also be reheated, if making in advance of serving, just preheat the oven, cover the patties with tin foil on a baking tray and bake until piping hot throughout}

BEFORE YOU GO:  I would really appreciate it if you had a look at my Pinterest, I have a blog explaining how to set up an account if needed. But, in short, it is a web page and app, that allows you to save things e.g recipes, crafts, hairstyles... that you're interested in to different boards like a virtual notice board. I put all my recipes on here and you can create boards for the week or for birthdays/special occasions and you could add any recipes you want to try from me, and lots of others, to them. My user name is @hazellikestocook or you can find me on the link below:

https://pin.it/7lkG0ld

This recipe is here: https://pin.it/5dDTs8s