Jamaican Meat Pie Footballs

Special equipment: What better way to celebrate the big game than with spicy meat-filled patties shaped like footballs? Jamaican patties are made with a variety of savoury fillings that sit inside a flaky, mouthwatering turmeric-tinted shell. Puff pastry is a tasty alternative to the typical dough used for the shell and helps to cut down on kitchen time!

1. Preheat the oven to 205 degrees C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. Combine the thyme, scallions, garlic, scotch bonnet chile and bell pepper in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (take care not to make a smooth puree).
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, and cook, stirring, until slightly brown, about 2 minutes. Add the pepper mixture, curry powder and allspice, and cook, stirring, until the beef is deeply browned and the filling is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the oil. Season the filling with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and let the filling cool completely. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning with more salt as needed.
4. Roll each sheet of puff pastry to about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4-inch football or oval-shaped cutter, stamp out 8 ovals of dough from each sheet; reserve the dough scraps. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture onto the center of half the dough ovals and brush the edges with egg mixture. Top each oval with a second dough oval and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Transfer the patties to the prepared baking sheets.
5. From the dough scraps, cut sixteen 2-by-1/8-inch strips and forty-eight 1-by-1/8-inch strips, using a paring knife or pizza cutter. Arrange the long strips lengthwise across the center of each oval then arrange 3 short strips crosswise over the long strips to form the laces of a football. So as not to disturb the placement of the laces, carefully brush the tops of the ovals with egg mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
6. Serve with barbecue sauce, chutney or ranch dressing for dipping.

Cook’s Note

It's a good idea to wear food safe gloves when handling the chilli.