Spicy Chicken-Sausage Pastry Balls
vvv Chicken-Chorizo Empanadas Recipe vvv
Fan-freakin'-tastic! Let's get cooking with a mouthwatering twist on the classic empanada with a Chicken-Chorizo combo. This recipe yields 8 large empanadas, so dig in!
- Yield: 8 greedy empanadas
- Difficulty: A medium spice in the kitchen, mate!
- Total Time: 1 h 50 min, plus 1 hr 30 min chilling and resting time
- Active Time: 30 clothin'-ruinin' minutes
🥘 Ingredients 🥘
For the dough:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour that's been bleached like mad
- A teaspoon of salt that fits in your hand - yeah, just a smidgen!
- 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, like a stick and a half, chopped into teeny pieces
- An egg larger than a hen's - no joke!
- 1/2 cup ice water, as cold as yer grannie's basement in January
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, who even needs that, eh?
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a kiss from mother Earth to your food
- One onion, sliced in the shape of a football, yellow-ish and delicious
- A tongue-wagging generous sprinkle of salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced up like a bat to the third power
- 7 to 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced and dried, your choice - 'tis the season!
- 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (no heat, promise!)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, any ol' cheap stuff you've got laying around
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, like stock, but less salt
- 1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives, cause, why not?
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken, fight over who gets the leftovers for these bad boys!
⏬ Instructions ⏬
- Make the dough: Chuck the flour and salt into a food processor. Give it a whirl until it's all mixed up like a crazy puppy. Add the butter and process it till it looks like peas. Yup, peas. Mix up the eggs, water, and vinegar in a bowl and toss that into the food processor. Process again to combine, then dump the dough out onto a work surface. Mold it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Pop it into the fridge for about an hour before getting busy.
- Make the filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm up the oil. Add the onion and a tad of salt and cook till it's golden and caramelized - about 10 minutes. Add the diced garlic and let it hang out for 30 seconds. Add the chorizo and paprika, cook until it starts to brown - 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the skillet with the wine and broth. Bring to a boil and cook off the liquid slightly - around 4 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the olives and chicken. Simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld. Make sure it's completely cool before using.
- Flick the switch on the oven: Heat the oven to 400°F. Gussy up two baking sheets with parchment paper, ready for action.
- Divide and conquer: Slice the dough into 8 pieces (or more for smaller empanadas). On a floured work surface, roll each piece into a round about 6-inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Brush the edge of half of each round with an egg wash. Add about 1/4 cup filling (or more or less depending on the round size) and fold the dough in half to make a half moon shape. Press the edges together, then use a fork to crimp the edges. Place on the baking sheets, leaving some space between each empanada. Prick the tops of each with a fork to create steam vents. Brush the tops of the empanadas lightly with the egg wash.
- Pop 'em in the oven: Bake until they turn a golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve them hot or warm, and enjoy the hell out of 'em!
- Prepare for 8 large Chicken-Chorizo Empanadas, each one offering a delightful blend of flavors.
- Nutrition tip: Be conscious of the salt intake in the dish, as the recipe includes a generous amount in various stages.
- For a more manageable portion, consider dividing the dough and filling into smaller portions, yielding more empanadas but of a smaller size. Additionally, this adjustment may help decrease the overall salt intake per serving.
