Caribbean Curried Beef Patties, Scotch Bonnet & Chandon Beni Aioli and Blackened Corn & Pineapple Salad

Shivi Ramoutar is back with this recipe for spiced beef in golden pastry, scotch bonnet aioli on the side, and a smoky pineapple and corn salad to cool it all down. Big, beautiful flavours!

Ingredients

Beef patties

for the pastry

2 rolls, ready rolled short crust pastry
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp Madras curry powder
1 beaten egg

filling

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp chopped chives
2 sprigs thyme
250g beef mince
100ml beef stock
1 tsp molasses sugar
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 slice of bread, torn into tiny pieces

For the scotch bonnet & chandon beni (coriander) aioli:

4 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil, to loosen
Squeeze of lime juice
1-2 tsp scotch bonnet based pepper sauce
1 tbsp coriander or if you can get, chandon beni leaves

For the blackened corn & pineapple salad:

2 ears of corn
1 tbsp olive oil
2 spring onions
½ red pepper, seeded and diced
50g pineapple, in chunks
Squeeze of lime juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp finely chopped chives
1 tsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley

Method

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For the patties, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/ Gas Mark 7 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Heat the oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and a little pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly until softened, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the garlic, curry powder and herbs and stir continuously until the aromas hit you, about 30 seconds or so.Add the beef mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and allow it to brown all over, the add the stock, sugar and hot pepper sauce. Increase the heat, bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the bread, then let the mixture continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes until thickened and rich.Remove the pan from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool.
Unroll the pastry and cut out about 4-5 circles, about 18cm diameter (use a side plate as a guide), or half that size for mini patties.Spoon the cooled filling on to one half of each pastry circle, leaving space at the edge to allow for sealing the pastry. Using your fingertips and a little water, wet the edges of the pastry and fold the non-filled half of the pastry over the filled half and use a fork to press down the edge.
Mix the turmeric and curry powder with the beaten egg, then generously brush half the filled patties with the mixture.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden, then serve.
For the corn and pineapple salad, heat a griddle pan until very hot. Rub the corn cobs with a little oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place the corn on the griddle pan and cook for 7 minutes, turning regularly to ensure that the charring is even. Place the corncobs in a bowl and cover for 5 minutes to allow the corn to tenderise.
Meanwhile, place the spring onions on the hot griddle pan and cook for 3 minutes, or until charred, turning halfway through. Finely chop the charred spring onion and add to a serving bowl, along with the red pepper and pineapple.
Stand the corncobs on their ends and, using a knife, carefully slice down the ear to carve the kernels away. Add the kernels to the pepper mixture. Separate any connected kernels then add the cayenne pepper, olive oil and lime juice and mix well. Scatter over the herbs and season.
For the aioli, mix together all the ingredients, blitz in a processor until smooth and season to taste.