ep. 4: empanadas criollas uruguayas for Natalia Figueroa Barroso
empanadas fell without rain
Makes: 24
Prep time: 1 hr 30 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
as soon as i read Natalia’s debut novel, Hailstones Fell without Rain, i knew the recipe i had to make were uruguayan empanadas. i spent much of my childhood in spain so am very familiar with spanish empanadas, but — i confess — my knowledge of latin-american cuisine is not very broad due to limited experience. all the more reason to have a go at making uruguayan ones.
interestingly, historically, empanadas came to latin america through colonisers from spain and portugal (and we have a really great chat about this on the episode — tune in to learn more), so the recipe isn’t too different from those you’d find in those countries, but does include the addition of beef tallow in the dough.
several recipes specified that uruguayan empanadas are baked rather than fried, but Natalia’s book had her character, Grachu, frying them, so that’s what i went with, and since i bought beef tallow for the dough, i also added a couple of tablespoons to the frying oil (since beef tallow fried things are delicious), but this is totally optional. if you’d prefer to bake your empanadas, i’ve also included instructions for this in the notes.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
mixing bowl or mixer with dough hook attachment
large pan or pot
medium bowl
rolling pin
high-sided cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pot
tray with wire rack or plate lined with kitchen paper towel
INGREDIENTS
for the dough:
600 g strong plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
60g beef tallow
330 ml warm water
for the refrito:
1 tbsp neutral oil
1 large onion, diced finely
2–3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 red capsicum, diced finely
2 large tomatoes, diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the filling:
1 tbsp neutral oil
500 g minced beef
1 tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped finely
8–10 large green olives, pitted and minced finely
¼ bunch fresh parsley, chopped finely
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for frying:
neutral oil
2 tbsp beef tallow (optional)
METHOD
to make the dough:
in the bowl of your mixer or a mixing bowl, combine the strong plain flour, baking powder, salt, and beef tallow.
add water slowly and mix until dough starts to form.
knead (either by hand or with mixer fitted with dough hook) until all flour is incorporated, the dough is smooth and elastic. if it feels a little dry, you may need to add a little more water, but only add 1 tsp at a time as too much water will make your dough tough.
lightly oil your bowl, form the dough into a ball, and place seamside-down in the bottom. cover with clingwrap or a clean tea towel and rest for 30 mins.
to make the refrito:
over a medium-high heat, heat the neutral oil in a large pan or pot and, when hot, add the diced onion and capsicum. season with a little salt to help cook down.
when the onion is translucent, add the garlic and fry until fragrant, then add the chopped tomatoes and cook down until juices have been released and mix resembles a chunky sauce.
season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
remove to bowl and set aside.
to make the filling:
in the same pan, add neutral oil and fry off the beef mince with the spices, sea salt and black pepper to taste, making sure to break up the mince into small pieces. when cooked through, remove to the same bowl as the refrito.
add the chopped boiled eggs, olives, and parsley, mix well and season to taste. set aside to cool completely.
to assemble:
divide rested dough into x24 40g balls and, working one at a time (cover the balls so they don’t dry out), lightly dust the tops and bottoms with a little flour, then roll out into about a 12mm circle, roughly 4mm thick. be careful not to roll too thin!
place a heaped tbsp of cooled filling in the centre (be careful not to overfill). lightly dampen a finger and run it around the bottom edge of the dough, then seal by folding in half and pressing together — press as close to the filling as possible so there are no air bubbles.
finish by pleating the edges by folding the excess dough over itself or use a fork to crimp. remove to a tray lined with baking paper until ready to fry (be careful not to let them touch or the dough will stick together).
to fry:
in a large high-sided skillet or heavy-bottomed pot, add neutral oil and 2 tbsp beef tallow (if desired) to just under halfway. when oil has reached 180ºC, carefully lower the empanadas in, 2–3 at a time, and fry until golden brown, flipping halfway.
remove to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels.
serve hot.
NOTES:
if you’d like to bake your empanadas instead of frying:
brush finished empanadas with a little egg wash and place on a tray lined with baking paper
bake in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC (fan assist) for 20–25 mins or until golden brown, and serve hot.
if desired, you can serve these empanadas with a little dipping sauce of your choice — some people like to have them with a simple chimichurri — but I ate mine with a herby-yoghurt dip. my dip recipe as follows:
in a blender, combine:
¼ cup greek yoghurt
small bunch coriander
small bunch parsley
1–2 peeled garlic cloves
¼ avocado
1 tbsp lime juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
pulse until well combined, and keep in fridge until ready to use.
these empanadas are technically shallow-fried rather than deep-fried, but you should exercise the same caution: don’t fill your pan more than halfway with oil, keep a lid nearby, and never leave hot oil on the hob unattended.
make sure you seal the edges of the empanadas well to avoid leaks and splatters when frying.
if desired, you can add a bit of beef tallow to the frying oil — it makes the overall flavour richer.
this recipe was developed from the following recipes: kevinallover.com, bodegagarzon.com, jennyisbaking.com.