Pork, Chorizo and Olive Empanadas

, from Issue #42. August, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Pork, Chorizo and Olive Empanadas

The paprika and chorizo in the filling give a lightly spiced, smoky flavour to these delicious little pork pies.

INGREDIENTS

Pastry
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
100 grams butter, diced and chilled
2 eggs
¼ cup chilled white wine or cold water
2 teaspoons white wine
vinegar or lemon juice

Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
150 grams pork mince (we use Freedom Farms)
1 chorizo sausage, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup currants
½ cup chopped green olives
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cornflour
2 tablespoons chopped coriander

To assemble
1 egg, beaten
whole cumin, caraway or sesame seeds for sprinkling

METHOD

Pastry: Put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk the eggs, wine and vinegar together and pour into the flour. Pulse until the dough just comes together.

Tip onto the bench and form into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour until firm.

Roll the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured bench and cut out 14 x 12 cm circles. Place on a baking tray and chill until ready to fill.

Filling: Heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook the onion until very soft. Add the mince and chorizo, season and cook for 5 minutes, breaking up any lumps of mince with a spoon. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, tomato paste, currants and olives and cook for 2 minutes. Combine the water and cornflour, add to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until the mixture is very thick. Stir in the coriander and cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

To assemble: Put a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each pastry circle. Brush the edges with egg and fold over to form a half moon. Use a fork to seal the edges firmly then place on a lined baking tray. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp. Makes 14