Empanadas

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Empanadas are a hot and flavourful meat filling wrapped in a soft dough. Hailing from Argentina, we've used a dough recipe from the famous Francis Mallman. We've made them three different ways over time - beef, chicken and now lamb. Check out all the variations!

Prep & Assembly Time: 90 min

Cook time: 20 min

Yield: 50 Empanadas

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 cups boiled water

• 1 1/2 tbsp salt

• 50g butter

• 6 cups all-purpose flour

Lamb Filling

• 6 tbsp butter

• 1 onion

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/2 small rutabaga - diced small & fried

• 1 carrot - finely diced

• 1 lb ground lamb

• 1 potato - grated & soaked

• 3 hard boiled eggs

• 1 tsp fresh thyme

• 1 tbsp zatar spice

Directions

Dough

1. Combine the boiling hot water, salt and butter in the bowl of a mixer. Stir until the salt dissolves & let the solution cool to room temperature.

2. Once cooled, add in the flour & mix with the dough hook. Let knead for a few minutes.

3. Remove from the mixer & divide the dough into two halves. Wrap and let sit for 2hrs in the fridge.

Filling

1. In a cast iron pan, melt 6 tbsp of butter. Add in finely diced onion and smashed, minced garlic and fry until the onions soften and begin to release their moisture.

2. While the onion and garlic are frying in the pan, dice up the rutabaga into small fine cubes and add them into the frying pan. Cook the rutabaga until it is not longer crunchy but still holds it's shape. About 10 min.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, grate a single medium sized potato into a medium sized bowl and fill with ice water. Soak while the vegetables cook and then drain & pat dry in a towel.

4. Transfer the cooked vegetables into a large bowl and grate a single carrot into the vegetable mixture.

5. Return the cast iron pan to the stove and add in a tablespoon of lard. Once melted, add the drained and dried potato and fry up quickly. Transfer into the bowl of vegetables.

6. Return the cast iron pan to the stove and heat with a tablespoon of lard. Add the ground lamb to the pan & fry until fully cooked. Season with thyme & Zataar spice, salt and pepper.

7. Boil three eggs, dice them and add them to the bowl of vegetables.

8. Combine the cooked lamb with the vegetables and stir everything together. Let cool.

Assembly

1. Divide the cooled dough into four pieces. Roll into a log and flatten with a rolling pin. Use a pasta machine to roll out the dough to the fourth thickest setting on your pasta machine.

2. Pre-heat oven to 375F.

3. Cut out 3.75-inch circles of dough & place on the palm of your hand. Place a tablespoon of filling in the centre of the circle of dough. Wipe the edges of the circle with a dab of water. Fold in half and pinch/fold the circle in half, sealing the edges together.

4. Brush the top of the empanada with butter & place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with all the dough & bake in pre-heated oven for 20 min. Allow to cool a bit before eating, they are piping hot on the inside!

Zhuzh it up!

• Check out the Beef-and-Onion Empanada filling on the Food and Wine Website.

• Try the Chicken Empanadas that Heather made as a New Year's Eve appetizer.

This amazing recipe was written by Erin Walker adapted from Francis Mallman's Glorious Empanadas Recipe