Empanada

Chicken Empanada is a favorite snack and party fare that I can serve hot or cold. I always thought making empanada was difficult but after baking Apple Pie, Empanada is a breeze. Here is an easy empanada recipe that uses baking.

Makes 20 puffs Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 20 mins

Chicken Empanada Ingredients:

Crust

* 300 g (2 1/2 cups) flour, plus extra for dusting
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 65 g (1/3 cup) chilled solid vegetable shortening
* 125 g(1/2 cup) butter
* 6-7 tablespoons iced water
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon water

Filling

* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 medium onion, minced
* 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
* 450 g (1 lb) chicken breast or thigh meat, deboned and cubed
* 1 small potato, diced
* 1 small carrot, diced
* 250 ml (1 cup) water or chicken broth
* 100 g (1 cup) green peas (thawed, if frozen)
* 100 g (1/2 cup) raisins (optional)
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Chicken Empanada Instructions:

* To make the Crust, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
* Cut in the butter and shortening with a knife or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the iced water, a little at a time while gathering the mixture to form a soft dough.
* Form the dough into a ball. Sprinkle some flour onto a sheet of waxed paper and wrap dough in the waxed paper. Chill 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
* To make the Filling, heat the oil and butter in a skillet. Add onions and saute about 1 minute, then add garlic and saute a further 1 minute. Add the cubed chicken meat and stir-fry until the chicken browns.
* Add potatoes and carrots and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in water or broth and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender and chicken is fully cooked.
* Add peas and raisins and simmer a further 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. With a slotted spoon, drain ingredients and transfer to a bowl, letting excess liquid drip. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
* Preheat oven to 200° C (400° F). Remove chilled dough from refrigerator. Lightly flour a pastry board or clean table top. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough on a pastry board until it is 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Don’t roll it too thin or it will break when baked. Cut 10 cm (4 in) circles using a cutter and a small bowl.
* Gather the scraps and re-roll them so they can be used again. You should get about 20 pastry circles.
* Spoon about 1-2 teaspoons Filling into the middle of each pastry circle. Fold the circle so the edges meet and filling is sealed. Press the edges of the pastry with the tines of a fork.
* Combine lightly beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush surface of each folded puff with egg mixture. Arrange on a greased baking sheet. With a knife make 2-3 slits on the surface of each puff to allow steam to escape while baking.
* Bake puffs in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside for a few minutes to cool before serving.