Empanadas

After I completed my ride, I invited Omar and Rosalva and their family who were my hosts in San Jose de Comondu, for lunch. It is always a dilemma about what to make for a larger group of people. I decided on empanadas, which can be prepared ahead of time. They are great for tapas style meal for a group of people.

Easy and quick to make, they will be a favorite little finger food to feed as many people as you need to.

Empanada comes from a verb empanar which means to wrap, coat or bread. The origins of empanadas go back to Galicia/ Spain and Portugal and are similar to Arabic meat-filled samosas. Spanish colonists brought this hearty and highly portable food for working people to Latin America. There are versions of empanadas from Colombia, Chile, Argentina to Puerto Rico. We tasted different kinds traveling in Argentina and Chile. Each claims theirs to be the best. You can wrap pie crust like dough around just about anything. Seafood, meat, vegetables or even fruit for dessert like empanadas. You can be as creative as you want.

What you'll need for the dough for fried empanadas:

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder (optional)

1 stick of butter cut in thin slivers

1 cup of ice cold water

To make a dough for baked empanadas, add one egg and bake at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Time and temperature will depend on size of empanadas and oven itself

- In a large bowl mix 2 and 1/2 cups of flour with butter and salt to distribute butter and flour as evenly as possible

- Make a hole in the middle of the mixture and add 2/3 cups of water and start folding in the flour, butter, salt mixture. Keep adding the flour or the water depending on which you need until the dough is silky smooth and not sticky.

- wrap dough in a plastic cover or place under a bowl to rest for an hour.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Here is the recipe for fish or shrimp empanadas:

- saute 1/2 of finely chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup parsley

- add 1 medium chopped tomato

- add 1 large cubed and boiled potato

- saute 1/4 pound of fish or shrimp and cut into small pieces

You can substitute any type of veggies, meat for seafood and you can use just plain cheese without a sauce

- Roll out the dough into a thin sheet

Roll, roll, roll your dough…..

- With a cup or round mold cut round discs and you can roll it out a bit thinner after they are cut

- Place filling onto 1/2 of the disc but leave space at the edge

- Fold dough and press with finger or fork. you can make a pretty braided edge, but that will take longer

Fork it or braid it

Heat up you oil of choice for frying. I use Avocado oil. It won't burn and smoke as you can heat it up to a high temperature and it is healthier

Hear that sizzle

It will only take about 30 seconds on one side or till golden brown. Flip over for just a few seconds to brown the top if needed. Don't overcrowd your frying pan.

They didn’t turn out the prettiest empanadas ever, but they sure tasted yummy

Either place on cooling rack or paper towel and serve hot with salsa or dipping sauce of your preference