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Makes about 16
empadas
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, chilled
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup cold water
Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground lean beef (see Note)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and chopped, or
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1
cup)
- 1 cup water
- 8 scallions, white parts only, chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
Sealer and Glaze
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cold water
1. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the chilled lard, and mix
quickly and thoroughly with your fingertips until the mixture
resembles coarse meal.Add the egg, egg white, and 1/4 cup
of the cold water. Continue mixing, adding the rest of the
cold water, a little at a time, just until you have a firm
dough. Knead the dough for a few seconds until smooth, then
wrap it and chill for 15 to 30 minutes. (It can be used immediately
or kept refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 1 week.)
2. In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the meat,
cardamom, bay leaf, pepper, and salt and saute over medium
heat, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated. Add the
potatoes and the water and simmer over very low heat, stirring
now and then, until the potatoes are tender and all the
liquid has evaporated. Add the scallions and cook for 2
to 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley,
and correct the seasoning with salt to taste. Set the filling
aside and let cool thoroughly or refrigerate overnight,
well covered.
3. Make the sealer and glaze by beating the egg yolk and
the cold water together. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
5. On a floured board, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick.
Cut the dough into 4-inch squares. Knead the scraps and
re-roll them, and cut into additional squares. Put 1 full
tablespoon of the filling into the center of each square.
Moisten the edges of the dough lightly with the sealer.
Fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle; press
the edges together with your fingertips or the tines of
a fork to seal. Repeat until all the empadas are assembled.
6. Place the empadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment
paper. Brush them with the remaining glaze and bake for
about 25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven;
transfer the empadas to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Note
Ground pork or chicken, or a combination of both, may be
substituted.
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