Wine & Cultures: Magda

Empanadas

After grilled meat, empanadas are without doubt Argentina’s most traditional dish and one that is essential at all festivities. Every province has its own recipe, but it can also be said that every family has a secret recipe that is handed down from mother to daughter.

This is my recipe from Buenos Aires, taught to me by my mother.

Ingredients for a dozen empanadas:

Dough:

• 1/2 kg flour
• 125 gr lard
• 125 cc water

Filling:

• diced or minced beef (70% of the filling)
• onion to taste
• olives (2/3 chopped for each empanada)
• hard boiled eggs (2/3 chopped for all the filling)
• herbs (oregano, a pinch of pepper, basil to taste)
• salt to taste

 

Mound the flour onto a work surface and make a well in the middle. Pour in the melted lard and mix the ingredients, adding the water. Knead the dough well with your hands until little bubbles appear. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a clean cloth and leave to rest for half an hour. Roll the dough out thinly and cut out the empanadas (circles which will be folded in half to enclose the filling).

Place some filling in the centre of the circle and fold into a half-moon, sealing the edges well with a fork.

Bake in the oven until the pastry is golden.

Some tips:
– when you add the tepid, melted lard to the flour, the dough should be worked quickly until it forms a ball and then covered with a cloth and left to rest;

– to keep the empanadas juicy, the filling should be prepared in advance and be cold when the dough is filled;

– the more onion is added, the moister they are. The hard boiled eggs and olives should be added to the filling only when it’s cold to prevent them from going soggy;
– once the empanadas are ready, cover them with a cloth and wait until your guests arrive before putting them in the oven; the best empanada is the one you eat straight out of the oven in good company!

– brush with beaten egg  before putting them in the oven on a greased baking tray; the oven should be very hot.

Traditional empanadas are those made with meat, but they can have all kinds of fillings: cheese and onion, ham and onion, cheese and vegetables etc., etc. Just use your imagination!