Chilean empanadas

Ingredients (serves 10)

For the dough:

• 1250 g flour
• 25 g salt
• 250 ml milk, heated
• 125 g lard, molten
• 60 g baking powder
• some olives and some sultanas

For the filling:

• 500 g minced beef
• 50 g paprika powder
• 125 ml vegetable oil
• 4 onions, chopped
• 3 eggs, hard boiled, then sliced
• 1 stock cube (optional)
• salt, oregano, pepper

Preparation

Dough:

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, add molten lard and heated milk, and mix well (but do not knead). Rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling (see below).

Filling:

1. Fry the chopped onion until golden, then lower the heat and add the paprika and minced beef. (Tip: add 1/2 tsp of sugar to soften the onions, if desired.)
2. When the beef is light brown, add the rest of the spices and the stock cube dissolved in 1/2 cup of water. Simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat, let it cool slightly, then use it to fill the empanadas.

Empanadas:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C (475 F).
2. Roll out the dough and cut in circular sheets of app. 20 cm diameter.
3. On each sheet, place 1 tbsp filling, an olive, two or three sultanas, and a slice of hard boiled egg.
4. Moist the edges and fold the sheets in triangular or ractangular shapes. Brush with egg white or some milk, and puncture in two or three spots.
5. Place on a baking tray and oven bake for 40 minutes.

	Copyright © 1999-2000 Anne-Wil Harzing and Ron van der Wal. All rights reserved. Legal notices and colophon. This page was last modified on 7-11-99 19:03