Chicken Chorizo Spanish Empanada Recipes

Steps:

• Make the dough. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then mix in the eggs and shortening until you get crumbs the size of peas (or dipping dots). You can use an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or use your hands.
• Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your work surface. Dump the dough crumbles onto the plastic wrap and knead into a cylinder. Tightly cover with another piece of plastic wrap, maintaining the cylindrical shape. Refrigerate for an hour or so.
• While the dough cools, make the filling. Heat a large pot over medium. Once it's hot, add the olive oil, onions, green pepper, garlic and tomatoes. Saute for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chicken and ham and continue to saute until the chicken is almost cooked through.
• Add the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the chorizo, piquillo peppers and green olives. Cover and continue simmering for another 14 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until it comes to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap intil it's about 1/4-inch thick. Once your dough is rolled out, transfer it into an ungreased casserole dish (we used a large, 8″ by 11″ and 3″ deep dish). Cover the bottom and sides with dough, pushing it up the sides with your fingers if needed.
• Bake the bottom and sides for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and let come to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
• Add the filling to the casserole dish, then cover the top with the remaining dough (like a pie). Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with a big green salad.

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, turning over once, about 6 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Sauté onions, garlic, and bay leaves in fat remaining in skillet, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chorizo and paprika and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add olives, raisins, wine, and broth and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Return chicken to skillet along with any juices accumulated on plate, then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer chicken, covered, turning over once, until tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.
• Transfer chicken to a clean plate. (Sauce in skillet should be the consistency of heavy cream; if it's not, briskly simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.) When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and coarsely chop meat. Stir chicken into sauce and discard bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, then cool filling, uncovered, about 30 minutes.
• Form and bake empanada:
• Form dough into a ball, then wrap in oiled plastic wrap (oiled side in) and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Divide dough in half, then roll out 1 half (keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap) on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle and transfer to baking pan. Spread filling evenly over dough, leaving a 1-inch border, and moisten border with water. Roll out remaining dough in same manner, then arrange over filling and press edges together to seal. Roll edges in and press to form a decorative rim. Make a 1-inch hole (a steam vent) in center of empanada.
• Bake empanada 15 minutes, then brush crust with 3/4 tablespoon oil and bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven and brush empanada with remaining 3/4 tablespoon oil. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a rack, then slide empanada onto rack using a wide metal spatula and cool to warm.
• Cut empanada into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water; add the salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium flame. Add the chorizo, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes, until the sausage renders its fat and gets crispy. Add the onion and garlic; season with the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and has a beautiful red color. Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and fold them into the pan, using a wooden spoon, break up the potatoes into nickel-size pieces. Add the olives and raisins and toss everything together; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Allow the filling to cool before filling the empanadas. Serve with cilantro cream.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2.
• Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
• Cilantro Cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice together. Mix thoroughly; season with salt and pepper. Serve with empanadas.
• Yield: 1 cup

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Cook chorizo in oil in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Add onions to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and very soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are very soft, about 15 minutes. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, then stir into onion mixture and cook over moderately low heat, covered, stirring frequently, until potatoes are just barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add potato mixture to chorizo and stir to combine. Cool filling to room temperature and discard bay leaf.
• Form and bake empanadas:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and form each into a disk. Keeping remaining pieces covered, roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 5-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling onto center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp decoratively with your fingers or tines of a fork. Transfer empanada to a baking sheet. Make 11 more empanadas in same manner, arranging on 2 baking sheets.
• Lightly brush empanadas with some of egg wash and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.