Empanadas (Main Recipe)

Difficulty:
1/5

There is likely nothing more Argentinian than the empanada. It’s sold on practically every street corner, in stores and in carts, fresh and frozen, fried and baked. And they come in all manner of shapes and sizes and flavours. Empanadas can be sweet or savoury, packed with juicy meats or vegetarian. Master the dough, and you’ve got a world of empanada fillings to choose from. We have two: Beef and Cheese. The secret to the dough is the lard, so don’t skip it!

Makes 20 empanadas

Ingredients

  • 7 ounces (200 g) flour (about 1 2/3 cups/410 mL)
  • 1 teaspoon (5 mL) kosher salt
  • 1.4 ounces (40 g) lard (about 3 tablespoons/45 mL)
  • Filling for savoury meat or fugazzeta empanadas
  • 3 large egg yolks beaten with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) water, for the egg wash

Directions

  1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, and then mix together. Using your hands, rub the lard into the dough until you have a sandy texture. Add enough ice-cold water and to form the slightly stiff dough, using your hands to incorporate. Turn out to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes, or until smooth, firm, and elastic. (The dough will be very firm.)
  2. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a disc, wrapping each disc individually with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 1 hour on the counter before using. (You can also refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours, but let it come to room temperature before using.)
  3. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll out each disc to a 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness, and cut out circles with a 5 1/2-inch (14 cm) cutter. (Or you can cut out the same-size circle using parchment paper and then trace it with a paring knife.) Reroll the dough as necessary; you should have about 20 circles in the end, making 4 circles with each disc.
  5. Using a 1/4-cup (60 mL) ice cream scoop or measuring cup, mound the filling in the centre of the dough leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Lightly moisten the edge of the dough with a little water, and fold over into a half-moon shape and seal the edges together. Finish by making a decorative edging (see below). (The empanadas can be set aside at this point, covered in the refrigerator.)
  6. Place the empanadas on the parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with the egg wash, and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Deep-fried empanadas

You can also deep-fry empanadas instead of baking them. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or wok, heat about 4 cups (1 L) of vegetable oil to 375°F (190°C) over medium-high heat. Deep-fry the empanadas 3 to 4 at a time, being sure not to overcrowd. Cook, turning it over once, for 4 minutes or until light golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on the paper towels.

Empanada shapes

Take the half-moon empanada and seal the edges well. Then you can make the following shapes:

  • Carne: Make a little fold at one corner, and then make the next fold over the first one. Do this about 13 consecutive times from one end to another. This is the most classic edging.
  • Pollo: Simply use the tines of a fork to imprint the edges.
  • Puerro: Gather the 2 points together and join them while keeping the edging quite flat. It will look like a tortellini. The 2 points should stick together without water, but add a touch of water if it doesn’t.

See recipe for Beef Empanada

See recipe for Cheese Empanada