There are numerous empanada recipes, and my favourites are made with pork or beef. You can use chicken for this recipe if you prefer, substituting a cheese with a milder flavour, such as mild Cheddar or Tilsit. The empanadas can be frozen raw in an airtight container, for up to 2–3 weeks; allow to thaw completely before baking.
MAKES 14–16
For the pastry
360g flan pastry or puff pastry trimmings
Plain flour, for dusting
1 egg white, lightly beaten, for sealing
For the filling
150ml groundnut oil
250g pork shoulder or neck, trimmed of fat and minced using a medium setting
1 onion (about 150g), finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150g tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and finely diced
A generous pinch each of ground cumin, dried oregano and sweet paprika
A small pinch of chilli powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
300ml veal stock (shop-bought), or home-made rich chicken stock
150g Cheddar, Cantal or Edam cheese, freshly grated
75g cottage cheese
To make the filling, heat 100ml of the oil in a frying pan. Add the minced pork and brown it evenly over a high heat, then transfer to a colander to drain off the fat.
Heat the remaining oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat, add the onion and sweat for 2–3 minutes, then add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Add the browned pork, cumin, oregano, paprika, chilli powder, salt, pepper and stock. Cook over a low heat for 40 minutes, then add the grated cheese and cottage cheese and cook for another minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with cling film and pierce it in several places with the tip of a sharp knife. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 1.5mm thickness and cut out rounds, using a 9cm plain cutter. Gather the trimmings and roll out to cut more rounds. Place a generous tablespoonful (about 20g) of the chilled filling in the centre of a pastry round and brush the pastry edges with a little egg white.
Fold the pastry over the filling to make a turnover and pinch the edges together between your thumb and forefinger, giving the border a quarter-turn inwards every 5mm to create a plaited effect edge and seal it completely. Repeat with the remaining filling and pastry circles. Place the empanadas on a baking tray and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Bake the empanadas in the oven for 13–15 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool a little.
Serve the empanadas hot or warm, arranging them in a basket. Or, for a fun presentation, offer them around in little paper cones.