Cook's Tools & Gadgets Baking Tools Bar & Wine Tools Mandolines & Slicers All Cook's Tools & Gadgets Cookware Cookware Sets Saucepans Skillets All Cookware Cutlery Chef's Knives Knife Sets Steak Knives All Cutlery Housewares Air Purifiers & Humidifiers Ironing Pet Care Vacuums & Floor Care All Housewares Small Appliances Coffee, Tea & Espresso Contact Grills Food Processors Stand Mixers All Small Appliances Tableware Dinnerware Flatware Stemware All Tableware More Kitchen & Housewares Baking Bar Tools & Glasses Kitchen Furniture Outdoor Grills & Fryers Spa & Personal Care Storage & Organization Wine Accessories All Kitchen & Housewares Related Stores Bed & Bath Great Stuff for the Kitchen and Home Gourmet Food Outdoor Living Brands All-Clad Calphalon Cuisinart George Foreman J.A. Henckels KitchenAid Pfaltzgraff Wüsthof All Brands

Featured Black & Decker Lids Off Jar Opener Breville JE900 Juice Fountain Professional Juice Extractor

Gourmet Foods Gourmet Foods Main Coffee & Tea Chocolate Delights Gift Baskets Seafood Meat, Game & Pâté Health and Natural Foods All Gourmet Foods

Empanadas

In Argentina, (and South America generally), an empanada is essentially a
stuffed pastry. The filling usually consists primarily of beef, but may also
contain cheese, ham and cheese, or spinach; fruit filling is used to create
a dessert empanada.

Dough Recipe:

1 kg flour
2 eggs
200 g butter (or margarine)
1 tsp. salt
2-3 cups cold water
Olive oil
Corn Starch

Dissolve salt in water. Mix eggs, flour, butter and 1 cup of water to form a
dough. While kneading the dough, gradually add in more water until the dough
is soft and stretchy. If the dough becomes sticky, add more flour. Once the
dough is the desired consistency, allow to rest for a couple minutes, then
roll it out to a thickness of ~2-3 mm. Cut the dough into circles roughly
10-15 cm in diameter.

For a flakier crust, before cutting it into circles, lightly coat the dough
with olive oil and dust with Corn Starch. Fold the dough in half (with the
corn starch on the inside) and again coat with oil and corn starch. Fold
again and roll out to a thickness of ~2-3 mm.

Filling (Relleno)

Every household in Argentina has its own special recipe for the empanada
filling. The fillings also tend to vary from region to region, with some
being sweet and others spicy. The following is the recipe for a sweet
empanada filling typical of those found in the province of Santa Fe.

1 kg ground beef
1 large onion
2 tblsp vegetable oil
2 tblsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin (comino)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup raisins
Green Olives (optional)
Diced Hardboiled egg (optional)
Diced boiled potatoes (optional)

Dice onion into small pieces and sautee in vegetable oil in a large frying
pan. Add and brown ground beef. While beef is browning, mix in salt, sugar
and spices. Once meat has finished cooking remove from heat and add raisons.
If desired add sliced olives, egg or potatoes.

Empanada preparation

Place 1-2 tablespoons of empanada filling into the center of one of the
dough rounds (tapas). Wet a ring of dough around the outer edge of the tapa
with cold water and fold the tapa in half to encase the filling (the wetted
portion will help the dough stick together). Now grabbing the upper corner
of the folded dough, pinch and twist over a small (finger-sized) portion of
the dough. Continue pinching and twisting around the perimeter until you
reach the bottom of the empanada, so that the open edge is sealed shut. (If
you didn't understand that last part, you can also just use a fork to smash
together the outside edge). Do the same with all of the filling and dough.

To cook the empanadas, deep fry in vegetable oil on medium heat until golden
brown. Alternatively, you can glaze them with butter and cook on a cookie
sheet in the oven at 400F for 8-10 minutes or until light brown.

Allow empanadas to cool slightly then serve. Empanadas are usually eaten
with your hands (like a taco or burrito).

Find Gourmet Foods, Ethnic Foods and Recipe Ingredients