Empanadas

Are you familiar with empanadas? There are Mexican, Colombian, Argentinian, Sri Lankan and other versions but I made a (baked) Filipino version here, since these hand pies are so nice to munch on at any time of day, the light buttery crust blending so nicely with the meat, fish or vegetable filling (pictured above).

But I will say the South American versions are also a favorite, especially with chimichurri sauce, then again the curried Sri Lanka fish curry types are also delicious. But I digress... Below is a short crust recipe, you decide which filling you prefer;)

Short crust dough recipe :

175 g butter (about 3/4 cup)

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup bread flour (if you don't have any just add 1/4 teaspoon of
baking powder to flour)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend flours and butter in a mixer with a dough hook attachment, or use a bread machine, (mix milk and egg mixture in a separate bowl) and add this in a thin steady flow to the grainy flour mixture while continuing to mix/knead. Add all other ingredients to knead at least 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of flour if too sticky, the dough should be soft and not stick when you touch with a finger. Allow to rest 1 hour in refrigerator before rolling out.

Here is the recipe for a meat or fish stuffing :

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

500 g ground pork, ground beef or ground chicken or boneless fish (salmon, canned tuna, cod, tilapia)

1 cup diced potatoes

1/2 cup green peas or chopped green onions

1/2 cup diced carrots

1 tablespoon oyster sauce or soy sauce
1/4 cup sultana raisins

1 bay leaf (remove once cooked)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 hard boiled eggs cut in 1/8th portions (optional)

In a skillet with a spoonful of vegetable oil, brown onions and garlic, add meat or fish, add vegetables and seasonings and with 1/4 cup water, simmer in medium heat about 10-12 minutes or once the potatoes are cooked. Set aside to cool.

I also made a vegetarian version :

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 cup diced potatoes

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup chick peas

1/2 cup diced mozzarella

1 tablespoon fresh crushed ginger

1 tablespoon oyster sauce or soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet with a spoonful of vegetable oil, brown onions and garlic, add the vegetables and seasonings and simmer in low heat about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add the mozzarella. Set aside to cool.

To make the empanadas, roll out dough thinly on a flat surface, as flat as you can roll it, about 1/8". The dough should not stick to the surface, otherwise, flour the surface a bit then cut out 3" round flat disks. Fill the disks with a spoonful of filling, (add a slice of egg, optional), leaving a 1/2 inch edge empty to close, then dampen the edges with water. Close the circles into half moon shapes and pinch the edges closed. You can further close the edges by "squeeze turning" bits of dough with your fingers or by using a fork to pinch it closed. Brush the top with an egg wash (beat 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water) to get a golden color or with milk (for a neutral color, what I used actually).

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350° F / 180 °C for 18-20 minutes or until they are light brown.

Enjoy, everyone !