Empanadas are awesome! I like them because you can pretty much fill them with whatever you like. For this particular pairing I chose chicken, raisins, and olives because I like the way the salty olives and the fruity raisins play off of each other. The flakey dough also complements the tiny bubbles of this particular cava.

 

You can make the dough and the filling ahead of time, which makes things easier when you’ve invited friends over and you'd rather socialize than fiddle in the kitchen. I think you can even freeze these ahead of time (before baking) for a last minute meal or snack, although I have never done this. I like empanadas so much that I want to eat them immediately! ;)

Ingredients

Serves 4

 

For the filling:

3 large chicken legs with thighs attached
500 ml unsalted chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, chopped small
1 yellow pepper, chopped small
1 small red onion, chopped small
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried thyme 
1 tbsp dried oregano 
1 bay leaf
100 g pitted green olives, sliced in half
150 g seedless raisins
  salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

For the dough:

450 g all-purpose flour
170 g butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp suggar
2  eggs
100 ml white wine
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1  egg yolk

Method

 

For the dough:

Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk and add the cubes of cold butter. Combine the butter and flour mixture with your fingers until it looks kind of like a rough corn meal. Combine the egg, wine and vinegar together and drizzle over the the top of your flour and butter mix. Kneed everything together until it the dough begins to hold together. Form the dough into two disk shapes, wrap in cellophane and chill for at least an hour and up to overnight. Roll each disk into a circle that is about 1/4 centimeter thick. Chill again you are ready to assemble your empanadas.

 

For the filling:

Heat the stock in a medium sauce pan and bring to a very low simmer. Salt the chicken stock so that it tastes vaguely salty. Add the bay leaf, dried oregano, dried thyme and the chicken. Slowly simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and let the chicken rest in the stock for an additional five minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle with your hands, shred the chicken into small pieces and set aside.

 

Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion and peppers for two minutes. Add garlic and the remaining dried spices, olives, raisins and cook for another minute or two before adding the chicken and a few tablespoons from its stock. Simmer for a few more minutes, adding more stock (if needed) to keep everything moist but not soupy. Sprinkle in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.  

 

To assemble, spoon half of the filling on half of the dough leaving an inch border around the sides. Mix egg yolk with 50 ml of water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash onto the border of the dough.

 

Fold the “empty” side of the dough over the filling and crimp together with a fork. Brush the remaining egg wash over the top and bake at 200*C for about 35 minutes. If the empanada begins to brown too quickly, cover it with foil. Cut into slices and enjoy!

 

Everyone will swear your Mamita helped you!