Title: Chili-Head Pasty And Empanada Variations
Categories: Ground Spice Info British Latino
Yield: 1 Servings

1

Text file

With all the discussion of Cornish Pasties (pastry folded over a somewhat bland filling of meat, potatoes, turnip and onion, then baked) and all the various Northeastern U.S. versions thereof, I was kinda surprised there was no mention of empanadas, the Hispanic version of the pasty. Unlike the traditional Cornish pasty, the range of size and fillings used for empanadas allows for a lot of experimentation. Size can range from small dessert turnovers (empanaditas) filled with fruit, sweet potato, or pumpkin spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, etc.) to large meat pies (empanada gallega) big enough to feed a family. Seafood, poultry, beef, pork, rice, beans, potatoes, vegetables, and even leftovers from previous meals are all acceptable fillings for empanadas.

Picadillo is another traditional filling for empanadas. The ingredients generally include ground beef or pork, onions, tomatoes, apples, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, salt and pepper. My version of picadillo usually goes easy on the apples, raisins, cloves and cinnamon...and, I add roasted pine nuts, chopped fresh chiles, Mexican oregano, chile powder and crushed dried red chile.

"Authentic Mexican" by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless includes a recipe for a Mexican empanada using flour tortilla dough formed into flat circles, filled with picadillo, folded over and sealed, then deep fried.

Empanada Gallega (of Spanish origin, I think) is made with a bread dough that's allowed to rise, punched down and allowed to rise again, and then divided and rolled into two circles about a quarter inch thick -- kinda like for making pizza. The filling is spread over one circle of dough, covered with the other circle of dough, sealed around the edge, allowed a short rest in a warm place to rise a bit, brushed with beaten egg, and then baked until golden.

The empanadas I make are generally a little smaller than a Cornish pasty with spicier fillings including (not all at the same time of course) beef, pork, poultry, sausage, crab, shrimp, scallops, beans, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, fresh chiles, whatever...and the appropriate spices to compliment my choice of ingredients. One of my favorites is empanadas made with a filling of Mexican-style chorizo and potatoes... From: Rich Mccormack Date: 13 Jan 97 Chile-Heads List Ä

previous

next