Empanadas

Ingredients

Pastry

• Plain flour: 500g

• Water: 225ml

• Unsalted butter: 50g

• Vegetable oil: 5 tablespoons

• Salt: 10g

Salsa

• Tomato: 1 - 2

• Chile: 1 (e.g., birds eye)

• White vinegar

Variant 1 - Beef

• Beef mince: 500g

• Brown onion: 500g, diced

• Egg, hard boiled. 2, diced

• Spring onion: 3, diced

• Paprika, mild: 2 1/2 teaspoons

• Cumin: 2 1/2 teaspoons

• Chilli flakes: 1 1/4 teaspoons

• Olives: 4 tablespoons, diced (can be replaced with capers)

• Tomatoes: 2 small/medium, diced

Variant 2 - Vegetarian 

• Hard mozzarella: 1 1/2 cup, grated

• Roma tomato: 2, diced

• Basil leaves: 1 large handful, sliced

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper: To taste

Method

Pastry

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the water, butter and oil. Knead everything together until it comes together and is pliable. Cover and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Filling

1. • Beef filling: Fry the diced onion in butter until translucent. Add the beef and cook through. Add the cumin, chilli and paprika. Take off the heat and mix through the spring onion, olives and diced egg.

   • Vegetarian filling: Remove the insides of the tomato (you can keep this aside for the salsa). Dice the tomatoes and mix in with the other filling ingredients.

Empanada assembly:

2. Pre-heat the oven to 230C

3. Split the dough into 8 balls and roll out into discs. Use flour to ensure the balls do not stick. 

4. Add ~1 tablespoon of filling into the centre of each empanada disc and seal by crimping the edges.

5. Place empanadas on baking paper and brush with egg wash.

6. Cook in the oven until golden brown.