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Empanadas are the Mexican equivalent of the Cornish Pasty. Fill with any
flavoursome tex-mex-style filling, such as Chilli con Carne, Refried Beans, Corned Beef Hash or the potato filling below.
Ingredients
Pastry
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of vegetable oil (yes you, read right… 1/2 a cup!)
1/2 cup of cold water
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Suggested Filling
500g old potatos, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 tablespoons of butter
1 small onion
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of chilli seeds (dried)
1 teaspoon of salt
Method
Now, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil
and mix thoroughly into a pastry-like mixture. Add the water. The dough will
be quite wet, like pizza dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for
at least 30 minutes. Now might be a good time to prepare the filling.
To make the suggested filling, parboil the potatos until they are tender and
then drain well. Fry the onion in the butter for about 3 minutes. Add the
potatos, cumin, paprika, chilli seeds, salt and pepper. Stir to coarsely mash
the potato until lightly browned.
Divide the dough into 12 equally-sized balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll
each ball flat (and round) with a rolling pin and place 2 tablespoons of the
filling in the middle. Moisten the outer edge with a little water and then fold
the dough over into a half-moon shape. Press the edges down with a wet fork to
seal.
Place the empanadas on a baking tray. Brush them with the egg yolk and water
glaze. Bake in an oven preheated to 215oC until lightly browned or
for about 20 to 25 minutes.
