Shrimp Empanadas Recipe 55

Steps:

• Peel and devein shrimp and place them into a colander to drain.
• Note: I used frozen shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. All I had to do was remove the tail. Set up a cooking tray or baking sheet and with paper towels. Transfer the shrimp onto tray with paper towels. Cover with another row of paper towels and press down. Place shrimp in refrigerator.
• In the meantime, remove the empanada pastry discs from freezer and cut packages open. Allow to defrost for 10-15 minutes before you start separating them. Each disc is separated by a piece of plastic. All you have to do is pry them gently apart and the warmth from your hands is enough to make them pliable to work with.
• Chop and combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Pull shrimp out of refrigerator and discard paper towels. Chop shrimp into small pieces and add to the bowl with the onion and herbs. Mix well and set aside.
• Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment with cooking spray.
• Separate the discs and place a heaping tablespoon of the shrimp mixture into the center of a disc. Wet you fingers with water and dampen the inside edge of the pastry disc. Fold the disc in half so the ends meet and crimp the edges with a fork. Place the empanadas on the baking sheets. They can be right next to each other. You should be able to fit 12-14 on each baking sheet. You can use the space in the center of the baking sheet to fit in a couple more.
• Brush the egg wash on each empanada.
• Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Directions for sauce.
• Add ingredients to small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Steps:

• Stir together 1 tablespoon flour and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl until flour is dissolved; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and tomato paste; season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through and opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir in cayenne and parsley. Stir in flour mixture; simmer 2 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in olives. Season again with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place remaining 4 cups flour in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Place butter, mayonnaise, eggs, milk, and 2 teaspoons salt in well. Squeeze wet ingredients between fingers of one hand to combine. Gradually work in flour, squeezing to form a soft dough.
• Pinch off 60 cherry-size balls of dough; reserve leftover dough. Set aside 15 dough balls. Transfer remaining 45 dough balls to baking sheets. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate. Divide reserved dough into 4 pieces; set aside 1 piece. Wrap remaining 3 pieces in plastic; refrigerate.
• Transfer reserved dough balls to fifteen round tartlet molds (each 1 1/2 inch diameter by 1/2 inch high). Press down dough; it should reach just over tops. Mound 1 teaspoon filling in each mold.
• Roll out a dough piece to 1/8 inch thick. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 15 tops. Place over filling, pressing edges of dough to seal; trim excess. Transfer to a baking sheet. Brush tops with egg glaze. Repeat process with remaining dough balls, filling, and divided dough pieces.
• Bake empanadas until cooked through and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack; unmold. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• For the salsa criolla: In a pan on medium-high heat, add the butter, the cubanelle pepper, tomatoes and onion. Cook the veggies for about 5 minutes. Add the Sazón, adobo, chicken base, oregano, coriander leaves, cooking wine, garlic and 4 cups water; bring to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with 1 cup of water and stir. Add the flour mixture to the pan little by little until the desired thickness of sauce is reached.
• For the empanadas: Chop the shrimp into medium pieces. In a pan over medium-high heat, add the butter, shrimp and 4 ounces salsa criolla. Stir. Cook until the shrimp is pink and fully cooked, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
• To the middle of a round of dough, add about a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture, 1 to 2 teaspoons grated cheese, and add several pieces of colored julienne bell peppers. Close and fold the round dough in half like a crescent. Press the edges together to seal and remove any air pockets. Using your thumb and index finger, pinch and twist along the edge of the dough to create a braided sealed edge. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Place the empanadas on a plate lined with wax paper and freeze until the next day. (This will help unify the temperature of the empanada and help seal it before frying.)
• In a fryer or deep pan, add enough vegetable oil to for the empanadas to float. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F.
• Add the empanadas to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the empanadas to a rack or paper towel to allow excess oil to drain. Empanadas can be served on a cutting board or plate. Cut in half and enjoy!

Steps:

• Combine first 6 ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Mix flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually stir in water until mixture forms ball. Place on lightly floured surface; knead 5 min. or until smooth and elastic. Divide dough into 12 balls, using about 2 Tbsp. for each; flatten each to 6-inch round.
• Spoon about 1/3 cup shrimp mixture onto center of each round; moisten edge with water. Fold dough rounds in half to enclose filling; press lightly on tops to remove air pockets. Seal edges with fork.
• Heat oil in medium deep skillet to 375°F. Add empanadas, in batches; cook 3 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Remove from skillet; drain well.

Steps:

• For the Masa: In a large bowl mash sweet potatoes with a potato masher (a food processor will make them gummy). Mix in the butter and the flour mixture, kneading gently to get a smooth dough adding a little more flour if it gets sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. For the Relleno: Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan over low heat. Add the onion, garlic paste, bell and hot peppers, cilantro and zest. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes, stirring a few times with a wooden spoon. Add the shrimp and lime juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle in the flour, mixing well. Add the coconut milk and cook, stirring, to obtain a creamy consistency and the flour is cooked. Remove from the heat and let cool. To Assemble: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3" Circles. Place about 1 level tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle, fold over into a cresent shape and press the edges together with your fingers to seal. Brush with the egg mixture and bake in the upper third of the oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.