FA M I LY R E C I P E S

fam ily re cipes lamb patés Food writer and podcast host Korsha Wilson makes these crispy, comforting handheld snacks when she needs a reminder of family and a taste of the Caribbean.

The word patŽ (pah-tay) is pronounced the same as the French spread (pâté).

On her Heritage Radio Network podcast, A Hungry Society, Korsha Wilson interviews diverse voices shaping American food traditions. or many, a flight to the U.S. Virgin Islands signals the f start of vacation, but for me, it’s a reunion where I see my extended family. I spend time enjoying the vistas, soaking up the warm Caribbean sun, and eating as many patés as I can.

Patés are an excellent snack you find at food trucks and stands in St. Thomas,

St. John, and St. Croix. Golden and warm, the pockets of fried dough are often filled with saltfish, beef, or even tuna or chicken stewed with spices and tomato. The best shops sell out, meaning you have to get there early. I learned how to make paté dough from my grandmother and always join in when I’m back in USVI and a cousin or great-aunt is making patés and johnny cakes.

When I’m home in New

Jersey, I make my own version of patés using ground lamb spiced with Scotch bonnets and turmeric. The setting is decidedly less tropical, but it still makes me feel like I’m in St. Thomas surrounded by my family whenever I take a bite.

My favorite Caribbean hot sauce is Aunt May’s Bajan Pepper Sauce. aunt-mays .com

L A M B PATÉ S

Like Jamaican patties and Puerto Rican pastelillos, patés are a hybrid of African fl avors in the European form of a Cornish pasty. Their origin and pronunciation refl ect the U.S. Virgin Islands’ history of colonialism, migration, and food cultures shaping one another. HANDS-ON TIME 45 min. TOTAL TIME 1 hr. 30 min., plus cooling

3 cups all-purpose fl our 2 Tbsp. sugar 2½ tsp. baking powder 3½ Tbsp. butter, cut into ½-inch cubes 1 tsp. honey ½ medium onion, diced 1 ½-inch knob ginger, peeled and minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 lb. ground lamb (or beef) ½ tsp. Creole seasoning ½ tsp. turmeric 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 tsp. Caribbean hot sauce (optional) 1 whole Scotch bonnet chile pepper Vegetable oil for frying

Caribbean hot sauce

1. For dough: In a bowl whisk together fl our, sugar, baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt. Add butter cubes and use your fi ngers to work the butter into the fl our until the mixture is crumbly with no large pieces of butter. Add the honey. 2. Add ¾ cup room temperature water to the bowl in a steady stream, using a spoon to mix the fl our and turning it over on itself until the mixture becomes a craggy dough. If it seems too dry, add an additional ¼ cup water and stir until the mixture holds together. 3. Turn the dough out onto a fl oured surface and knead 5 minutes until dough is a smooth ball that springs back when pushed. Let dough rest, covered with a kitchen towel or damp paper towel, 30 minutes. 4. While dough is resting, make the fi lling: In a medium saucepan heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil over medium. Once shimmering, add onion and sauté until translucent. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 3 minutes until fragrant. Add lamb to the saucepan and brown with the aromatics, using a wooden spoon to break apart large pieces. Sprinkle with Creole seasoning and turmeric; stir and cook 5 minutes to let the spices bloom. 5. Add thyme sprigs and tomato paste; stir to coat meat. Add 1 tsp. Caribbean hot sauce (if using), Scotch bonnet, and ½ cup water. Let simmer 10 minutes over medium until most of the water has evaporated. (If you want lots of heat, break open the pepper while it stews.) 6. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and ground black pepper. Remove Scotch bonnet and thyme sprigs; let mixture cool 15 minutes. 7. To assemble, cut dough into eight pieces. On a fl oured surface, roll one portion of dough into an oval, about 8½✕6 inches. 8. Spoon approximately 2½ Tbsp. of the lamb fi lling onto the rolled dough. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, dampen the bottom edge of the oval. Fold top half down to align with bottom edge. Use a fork to press the two edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and fi lling. 9. In a heavy Dutch oven heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium until a bit of fl our dropped into the oil bubbles. Carefully add one paté into the oil, fl at side down. Add another paté once the fi rst one is fl oating. Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Using tongs, carefully fl ip and fry 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. 10. Repeat with remaining patés. Serve immediately or let cool and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, bake 20 minutes at 400°F. Serve with Caribbean hot sauce. Makes 8 patés. PER PATÉ 462 cal, 22 g fat (6 g sat fat), 65 mg chol, 206 mg sodium, 61 g carb, 2 g fi ber, 35 g sugars, 5 g pro ■

tip

Cooked patés can be frozen then easily reheated in the oven.

tip Cook only two patés at a time so the oil doesn’t dip in temperature. Crowding the pot can yield patés that are greasy, not crisp.