Makesabout 30 Hours D'oeuvres
- Active time:1 1/4 hr
- Start to finish:1 1/2 hr
May 2008
These plump, fried hors d'oeuvres, a seafood variation on Chile's signature baked onion-and-meat-filled empanadas, are hot and juicy. Have plenty of napkins ready.
For Pastry and Frying:
-
1
teaspoon
salt
-
3/4
cup
hot water
-
2 1/2
cups
all-purpose flour
-
1
teaspoon
baking powder
-
1
teaspoon
sugar
-
1/4
cup
lard at room temperature
-
1/4
cup
unsalted butter at room temperature
-
2
tablespoons
unsalted butter at room temperature
-
About 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
For Seafood Filling:
-
1 1/2
lb
small hard-shelled clams (about 2 inches across), scrubbed
-
1
cup
dry white wine
-
1 1/2
lb
cultivated mussels
-
1
medium onion, finely chopped
-
1
cup
chopped scallion
-
2
garlic cloves, finely chopped
-
3
tablespoons
unsalted butter
-
1 1/2
tablespoons
all-purpose flour
-
1
fresh serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
-
1/2
tablespoon
paprika (not hot)
-
1
teaspoon
dried oregano
-
1/2
lb
shrimp, peeled and finely chopped
-
1/2
lb
sea scallops, tough ligament from side of each discarded and scallops finely chopped
-
1
tablespoon
chopped parsley
Make Dough:
-
Stir salt into hot water until dissolved.
-
Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
-
Sift flour, baking powder, and sugar into a large bowl, then make a well in center and add lard and butter. Stir salted water into well with a wooden spoon, melting lard and butter, then stir flour into liquid, adding a little water if necessary, to form a soft and pliable dough. Knead dough on an unfloured surface until smooth and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes (dough will be soft and slightly sticky).
-
Cover dough with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth).
Make filling:
-
Cook clams in wine in a medium saucepan, covered, over medium-high heat until just opened wide, about 5 minutes (discard any that remain unopened). Transfer clams to a bowl with a slotted spoon, then cook mussels in same liquid, covered, stirring once or twice, until opened, 3 to 5 minutes (discard unopened ones). Add mussels to clams and strain cooking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a bowl.
-
Coarsely chop clams and mussels (leave small ones whole).
-
Cook onion, scallion, and garlic in butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, chile, paprika, and oregano and cook, stirring occassionally, 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup shellfish-cooking liquid and bring to a boil, whisking, then simmer, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and parsley. Cook completley. (Filling will not be fully cooked.)
Make Empanaditas
-
Divide dough in half, then roll out 1 piece of dough into a 17-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 12 rounds with cutter and transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Gather scraps and reroll, then cut out more rounds. Repeat with remaining dough on another baking sheet.
-
Put a heaping tablespoon filling (it will be wet) in center of 1 round, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush edges lightly with water and pull dough over filling to enclose, then seal edge. Crimp with a fork dipped in flour. Repeat with remaining rounds.
-
Put a metal rack on a baking sheet in over, then preheat over to 200ºF.
-
Heat 1 1/2 inches oil to 360ºF in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-heat, then fry empanaditas, 4 at a time, turning with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then keep warm in over. Return oil to 360ºF between batches.
Cooks’ notes: Empanaditas can be formed (but not fried) up to 1 month ahead and frozen in an airtight container.
Leftover filling can be stirred into hot pasta or soup.
