A delicious South American pastry, these empanadas can either be baked or fried and are perfect for a late summer picnic or garden party.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 375g plain flour
- 22g butter, cubed
- 2 eggs
For the filling
- 100g chorizo sausage
- 300g beef mince
- 1 onion, chopped
- Handful of coriander, chopped
- Handful of parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
Method
- Using your fingertips, rub the butter and the flour together with a pinch of salt until you have a crumbly mixture. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then add to the pastry mix along with 100ml of cold water. Bring everything together to form a dough, then turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover with cling film then place the in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the filling. Remove the chorizo from its casing and add to a mixing bowl with the mince, onion, coriander, parsley, paprika, cumin and chilli flakes. Mix well, then tip out into a frying pan and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for a further 7-10 minutes until everything is cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Heat your oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into four portions, then roll out each one into a thin sheet. Using a 10cm biscuit cutter, cut out discs then place 1 tsp of the chorizo filling in the centre of each disc. Wet the edges of the pastry, and pinch both sides up and fold in half to seal. Crimp the edges using a fork.
- Lay out on a baking tray then brush the tops with a beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Lead image: LarisaBlinova via Getty images.