Colombian Empanadas Recipes Recipe For Chicken

CHICKEN EMPANADAS - COLOMBIA - EMPANADAS DE POLLO

Steps:

• The Chicken.
• - Place chicken thighs in a large pot with 8 cups of boiling water.
• - Add the celery, onion, garlic, Kosher salt and cumin.
• - Boil over medium heat for approximately 1 hour (or until chicken is cooked).
• - With a slotted spoon, carefully remove chicken from the pot, place it in a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow it to cool until safe to handle.
• - Cover the pot and continue to cook the stock on low heat.
• - Once the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and the bones. Drop the bones and skin into the stock pot, cover and continue to cook. With your fingers, pull the chicken meat apart so it resembles shredded meat. Put into a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
• - Allow the chicken stock to boil on low heat for another hour. Using a sieve, separate the broth from all the rest of the ingredients and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes. Discard the stock ingredients.
• The Dough.
• - Mix all the dry ingredients together (corn meal, brown sugar, yuca starch and optional cumin) in a large bowl and begin to add the chicken broth until you have a smooth, humid, easy to work dough. I usually add two cups and work the dough with my hands. Then, I add the chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time until I get the consistency I need.
• - Cover the bowl and let the "masa" rest for about one hour in the refrigerator.
• The Filling.
• - In a frying pan, heat the butter, margarine or oil over medium heat and saute the onions and tomatoes. (Here you can add cumin to taste).
• - In a large bowl, combine the chicken, potatoes, chopped cilantro, garlic powder and pepper.
• - Add the sauteed onion-tomato mixture and stir until well blended. Check for salt and adjust spices to your liking.
• The Empanada.
• - Now, if you have a tortilla press, you're sitting pretty for the next step. If you don't have one, two pieces of 1" wood about 8" square will do just fine. Lacking that, anything flat and a counter top will work. Or, if you feel adventurous, you can use your own two little hands!
• - Roll the "masa" (dough) into little balls about 1" in diameter. Cover the bottom part of the tortilla press with a piece of plastic wrap. Place the masa ball on top of the plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of plastic and press it into a flat circle (depending on the size of the original masa ball, the flat circle will turn out to be about 3 to 4 inches in diameter). Remove the top piece of plastic. Now add about one rounded tablespoon of the filling to the middle of the circle leaving about 1/2" of space on the sides. Using the plastic, fold the circle in half and press the edges together so it forms a half-moon. While still in the plastic, press the edges firmly together between your thumb and middle finger so the empanada is sealed. I like to make them pretty so, after the empanada is sealed, I remove it from the plastic and use the tip of my finger to fold the edges at small intervals so that the empanada has a "scalloped" look to the edges.
• - Cook them in bunches but don't prepare too many at a time and let them sit while the others cook since this tends to dry out the masa too much. Also, as you are cooking, keep the bowl of masa covered with a humid towel to keep it from getting too dry.
• Cooking.
• - The traditional method, of course, is to fry the empanadas in a large, iron cauldron (approximately 50 years old), on top of a wood fire, outdoors, in about twenty pounds of pork lard that was used to fry the empanadas for the last month and a half.
• - However, tradition does not always mean that it is right. Much of the time tradition simply means "lack of technology and alternate methods.".
• - I use a deep-fat fryer filled with Canola or Peanut oil. For even healthier empanadas, they can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees F on a greased cookie sheet. Baking them, of course, takes longer and you will have to turn the empanadas once. Bake or fry until golden brown.
• - If you fry them (the best method because they turn out nice and crunchy), make sure you place the finished empanadas on a cookie sheet whose bottom you have lined with a thick layer of paper towels. This will allow the excess oil to drain.
• - The tradition in Colombia is to have an empanada in one hand and a wedge of lemon in the other. As you take a bite, you squeeze a few drops of lemon juice inside. A bowl of your favorite salsa and a teaspoon will also do the job quite well. This recipe should yield approximately 4 to 5 dozen empanadas.

COLOMBIAN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the meat, onions, carrot and potato and saute until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomato, cilantro, eggs, capers, salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll out the chilled pastry to 1/4 inch thick and cut out 3 inch diameter rounds (you should get about 40). Place 2 tablespoons of the filling on half of the rounds, and cover the filling with the remaining half of the rounds. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Place the filled empanadas on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

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.

CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mix together first 8 ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to assemble empanadas.
• On a floured surface, roll out pie shells and cut into 4-inch circles (use all the pie dough by re-rolling scraps).
• Place approximately 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture in center of dough circles.
• Fold each circle in half and crimp edges with a fork.
• Place on a baking sheet and brush tops with egg yolks.
• Sprinkle top with mixed salt and chili powder.
• Bake 12-13 minutes at 400F degrees.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Freezes well.

COLOMBIAN BEEF AND POTATO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Prepare the filling: Place potato cubes in a medium saucepan, cover with water and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until cubes are completely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, using a flat palm, press the cut side of the tomato against the large holes of a box grater and grate the tomato until you're left with just the skin. (The skin should protect your hand from the grater.) Discard the skin, then transfer the tomato and any juices to a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat vegetable oil until shimmering. Add beef or pork, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until the pieces are quite small and completely cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Add onion, scallion, paprika, bouillon (if using), and a few grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 1 minute. Immediately add the grated tomato and its juices, and cook, stirring, until the mixture is quite dry, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer meat mixture to the bowl with potatoes and stir together with a fork, letting the potato get roughly mashed up. (The filling should form cohesive balls when gently packed.) Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, bouillon and pepper to taste. Allow to cool completely. Spreading it out on a large plate or tray and placing it in the fridge will speed up this process.
• Assemble the empanadas: Divide masa into 24 golf-ball-size balls. Working one ball at a time, place inside a plastic zip-top bag and press down with the bottom of a skillet to form a circle about 3 inches in diameter. Carefully remove from the bag and transfer to a clean cutting board or tray. Repeat with remaining dough balls, laying them out side by side. Cover the disks with a clean, lightly damp kitchen towel.
• Working one empanada at a time, place about 2 teaspoons of meat mixture in the center of the disk. Lift the front and back edges and seal them at the top by gently pushing them together. Seal the empanada, working from the center outward until both ends are completely sealed. Gently curve the empanada to form a slight crescent with the sealed edge at the top. Repeat with remaining empanadas.
• In a large Dutch oven or wok over high, heat 2 quarts oil until it registers 375 degrees on an instant-read or frying thermometer. Using a metal spider or slotted spoon, lower empanadas into the hot oil one at a time. You should be able to cook about six empanadas per batch. Cook empanadas, adjusting heat to maintain an oil temperature of 325 to 375 degrees, until empanadas are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or metal spider, transfer empanadas to a paper-towel-lined plate or bowl and immediately season with salt.
• Serve empanadas hot, with a bowl of ají and a spoon to drizzle the sauce over the empanadas and into them as you eat.