Guide to baked chicken empanadas
These Argentinian meat pies use wonderfully spiced caramelised chicken and tomatoes
Ingredients
1 piece baby chicken (450-500g), bone-off
Chimichurri (recipe below)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
50 gms white onion
2 gms fresh thyme
1 tsp cumin
50 gms diced tomatoes
Smoked paprika
For the chimichurri
900 gms parsley
35 gms chilli flakes
60 gms garlic, chopped
30 gms dry oregano
3 gms olive oil
80 gms white vinegar
50 gms salt
10 gms pepper
For the empanada dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
170 gms butter, cubed
1 egg
1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (water needs to be adjusted to obtain a soft and smooth dough)
Method
1. To make the dough, add the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse until half incorporated.
2. Add the egg and the water until a clumpy dough forms.
3. Remove from food processor and mix by hand until smooth.
4. Cut in half and rest for 30 minutes.
5. Roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut out with a round disc (if you don’t have one, use a small plate for shaping and a knife for cutting). Once cut, you can either use the dough immediately, store it in the refrigerator for 2 days, or freeze in a sealed container and use for up to a month. Tip: For the best results, refrigerate the stuffed empanada for 30 minutes to allow the dough to set with the filling so it does not lose its shape
6. To make the chimichurri, wash the parsley and dry in the lettuce spinner until water is fully removed. Make paste of garlic cloves. Finely chop the parsley leaves, and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Rectify seasoning once it has settled for one day.
7. For the marination of the chicken, brush chimichurri on the skin side of the chicken only and sprinkle some salt and pepper over.
8. Place chicken on the grill skin side down and cook 10 minutes until caramelised and skin is crispy and it is cooked. Then spoon criolla sauce on chicken and finish in the oven at 180C for only 3 minutes to avoid drying out the chicken. Remove the wing and dice.
9. Meanwhile heat a pan, add oil and saute white onion with thyme and cumin, salt and pepper for about five minutes to caramelise onions, then add the chicken pieces to fully cook the chicken for a minute or so. Add paprika and diced tomatoes and cook for about 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
10. Spoon portions of the stuffing into each dough round, leaving a margin at the sides to fold over.
11. Brush with egg yolk, lightly, to avoid a heavy eggy flavour and bake at 180C for about 7-10 minutes until dough is cooked and crispy.