Brazilian Empanadas Recipes

BRAZILIAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the dough: Crumble the yeast and mix with the milk and sugar. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the center, add the egg yolks, butter and yeast mixture and knead with the dough hook attachment until smooth. Shape into a ball, cover and chill overnight.
• The following day, preheat the oven to 200°C (approximately 400°F).
• For the filling: Rinse the meat, pat dry and cut into very thin strips. Drain the olives and cut into thin rings. Blanch the tomatoes, peel, quarter, core and chop finely.
• Peel the shallot and garlic, chop finely and sweat in a hot pan with 2 tablespoons oil until translucent. Add the meat and sauté until golden brown. Add the olives, chile and tomatoes. Pour in the broth, season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
• Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Mix in some breadcrumbs if too wet.
• Meanwhile, roll out the cold dough on a floured work surface until 3 mm (approximately 1/8 inch) thick. Cut out discs (about 12-15 cm in diameter) (approximately 5-6 inches) with a cookie cutter. Divide the filling between the center of each disc, brush the edges with egg white, fold into crescents and seal the edges. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with salad, if desired.

BRAZILIAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, salt, and turmeric.
• Work in the butter and shortening until it has a cornmeal-like consistency.
• Add the egg and the beer, and work until incorporated.
• Cover with a wet towel, and rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, saute the onion, tomatoes, and hearts of palm in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft.
• Deglaze with the sherry.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
• Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oil to 350°F.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten into rounds approximately 3-inches in diameter.
• Spoon 1 tablespoon of stuffing onto each round, fold the dough in half, brush edges with egg yolk, and pinch to seal.
• Fry the empanadas for 4 minutes.

BRAZILIAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, salt, and tumeric. Work in the butter and shortening until it has a cornmeal-like consistency. Add the egg and the beer, and work until incorporated. Cover with a wet towel, and rest for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, saute the onion, tomatoes, and hearts of palm in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Deglaze with the Sherry. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten into rounds approximately 3-inches in diameter. Spoon 1 tablespoon of stuffing onto each round, fold the dough in half, brush edges with egg yolk, and pinch to seal. Fry the empanadas for 4 minutes.

BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put 2 cups boiling water, 4 ounces lard and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl. Stir to melt lard and dissolve salt. Cool to room temperature.
• Gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. Knead for a minute or two on a floured board, until firm and smooth. Add more flour if sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Make the filling: Season chopped beef generously with salt and pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. Melt 3 tablespoons lard in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and fry until nicely browned, stirring throughout to keep pieces separate, about 5 minutes.
• Turn heat down to medium and add onion and chorizo. Keep turning mixture with a spatula, as if cooking hash, until onion is softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, thyme and marjoram and stir well to incorporate. (Add a little more fat to pan if mixture seems dry.) Season again with salt and pepper and let mixture fry for 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón and cayenne, then a cup of broth or water. Turn heat to simmer, stirring well to incorporate any caramelized bits.
• Cook for about 10 more minutes, until both meat and potatoes are tender and the sauce just coats them - juicy but not saucy is what you want. Taste and adjust seasoning for full flavor (intensity will diminish upon cooling). Stir in scallions and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Divide chilled dough into 1-ounce pieces and form into 2-inch diameter balls. Roll each piece into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Lay circles on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
• Moisten outer edge of each round with water. Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each round, adding a little chopped green olive and some hard-cooked egg to each. Wrap dough around filling to form empanada, pressing edges together. Fold edge back and finish by pinching little pleats or crimping with a fork.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place empanadas on parchment-lined or oiled baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Brush tops lightly with lard or butter and bake on top shelf of oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN EMPANADAS (EMPANADAS DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add water and 1/4 cup vegetable oil; mix with an electric mixer until well combined and a dough begins to form, about 3 minutes. Remove dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded chicken and saute until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, cilantro, olives, garlic, sazon seasoning, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Divide empanada dough into 12 pieces and form each one into a 4-inch circle. Place about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each circle, fold in half, and press down on the edges with a fork to seal.
• Heat 1 cup oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add empanadas, working in batches, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

BRAZILIAN EMPADINHAS

Steps:

• DOUGH Cut butter into salt and flour.
• Stir in rest of the ingredients and knead to combine or just process everything until it forms a ball.
• Let rest covered 1 hour Make balls the size of a walnut, from 2/3 of the dough and line small muffin tins with the dough.
• Place 2 tsp. of the cold filling into the lined tins.
• Make small balls with the rest of the dough.
• Flatten them to make lids for the mini pies.
• Brush tops with egg yolk Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
• SHRIMP FILLING Clean and devein shrimp, saving heads and shells.
• Make a broth with the shells and heads and 2 cups water.
• Cook 1 hour, uncovered over low heat. Strain broth and cook it down to 1/2 cup.
• Cook onions and garlic in olive oil until they start changing color.
• Add bell pepper and cook 2 minutes, Add tomatoes, broth and seasonings and simmer almost to a paste. Add shrimp and cook just until they become opaque. Stir in cornstarch diluted in 2 Tbsp water.
• Stir until thick.
• Add parsley.
• Let cool before using
• NOTES : May use other fillings such as chicken, hearts of palms, cheese Miriam Podcameni Posvolsky Rio de Janeiro