South American Empanadas
17 Mar 2015
These spicy snacks are best enjoyed hot and fresh. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even experiment with different fillings, including potato, capsicum and peas.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 130g butter
- 200g onions, chopped
- 200g spring onions, chopped 1⁄2 teaspoon aji chilli powder 1kg beef mince
- 250ml hot beef stock
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
- 1kg shortcrust pastry Plain flour
- A handful of green olives, chopped
- 130g sultanas
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
- Ground cumin Extra butter, melted
Makes about 12
Method
- Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and spring onion. Fry until the onion is translucent.
- Add the aji powder, then the beef. Cook until the meat is brown, then add the hot stock and simmer until the beef is cooked through. Add the sugar and season with salt, then add the paprika, cinnamon, ground cloves if using and a little water. Cook over low heat until the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Take pieces of pastry about the size of golf balls and roll out to circles 10–15 centimetres in diameter. Dust lightly with flour. Put a generous spoonful of meat filling in the centre of each round and add a few pieces of olive, some sultanas and egg. Sprinkle with cumin. Fold the pastry into a half-moon, then fold in the edges, crimping them with your fingers as you go.
- Place the empanadas on a greased tray and brush the tops with melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
This is an edited extract from Complete Food Safari by Maeve O’Mara. Published by Hardie Grant. RRP $59.95
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