4/20 Photo- Gaby's Empanadas

Tonight Adam and I made Chilean empanadas, courtesy of a recipe from Gaby. We have made it once before and we made it again tonight for dinner. I do have to say that Gaby's empanadas that she made before we left for our PC Staging in Miami were much more delicious, more flavorful, and also looked beautiful. I think part of the flavor problem is that I am missing the black olives. They are a tad expensive here (more common are the green ones- not the same!). Here is the recipe she gave me! I made half, because clearly there is no reason for Adam and I to eat 15! And they are not golden brown as the instructions indicated because our oven doesn't have a top element, so the top part never browns and we didn't want to burn the empanadas!

Filling

4 yellow onions, chopped (or 6 medium sized onions)

1 lb. ground beef

1 tbs. oregano

1 tbs. paprika

¼ tsp cumin

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tbs. oil

1 tbs. shortening

3 hard boiled eggs

Whole black olives

Raisins (optional)

In a skillet, warm the oil and cook the ground beef until brown. Set it aside. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan (and using medium heat), combine the onions, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and shortening. Stir mixture occasionally and add more shortening if the bottom starts burning. Cook until the onions look kind of transparent (~10 min). Add cooked ground beef into the onion mix and set aside to cool.

Dough

6 cups sifted flour

1/3 cup shortening (warm)

1 tablespoon salt

Warm water (~ 1 cup)

1 beaten egg

Combine the dry ingredients and make a hole in the center of the mix. Add warm shortening and water (not all) into the center and carefully knead the dough from the inside out. Knead the dough and keep adding water until feels wet but not sticky (knead dough for ~10 - 15 min). Separate dough into little golf balls or slightly bigger (~15 balls), cover with a plastic bag.

Roll the dough balls into a thin circle. Put ~ 2 tablespoons of filling, one slice of hard boiled egg, one olive and one raisin in the center of the circle. With a brush, wet the corners of the circle and fold it into half leaving about a ½ inch around the edges. “If baking” fold the 2 ends of the semicircle, and then the top (make sure the folds are well sealed) then brush the empanada with beaten egg. “If frying” fold the corners by making little waves or U’s (same design as a typical pie crust).

To bake prepare the oven at 400 degrees and bake the empanadas for 15 – 20 min or until golden brown.

To fry warm vegetable oil in a deep saucepan and cook the empanada until it is golden brown on both sides. 

(Makes ~ 15 empanadas)