ESTALLAR EN LAS COSTURAS ‘PUFFANADAS’
Isn’t it grand to live in a ‘feel cute might delete later' era, especially when it comes to recipes? Does it apply to recipes? Allow me to elaborate.
I was craving empanadas; however, I had no shortening, so I turned to a pastry recipe for prune filled cookies which uses olive oil for fat – with additional modifying of the ingredients from sweet to savory (eliminating sugar and vanilla from the dough to start). But I didn’t stop there. I wanted a gutsy, crusty epical empanada that puffed when you fry ‘em; leaving the filling no privacy from the hungry eye. So with an extra egg and a lapse in judgement on leavening, I give you my Estallar En Las Costuras (or, Burst at the Seams) Empanadas; or, more appropriately, ‘Puffanadas.’
If my Black Bean Chorizo & Corn Empanadas go against tradition, these comida de afrenta certainly rail against it. No disrespect intended, especially when a recipe is fueled by craving. With a simple filling of papas y chorizo, you can now see why I would straddle the fence as to share or not. So, in the meantime, as that internal debate rages on … I’m feeling cute.
PREP/COOK TIME: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
Makes 8 – 10 Puffanadas
INGREDIENTS
CRUST
2 Cups – All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp – Table Salt
1 Tsp – Baking Powder
½ Tsp – Baking Soda
2 Large Eggs
1 Tb – Distilled White Vinegar
¼ Cup plus 1 Tb – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 – 3 Tb – Water
FILLING
4 Small – Russet Potatoes, Peeled and Washed
2 Tb – Water
½ Tsp – Kosher Salt
4.5 Oz (½ Package) – Cacique Pork Chorizo
1 Cup – Vegetable Oil
THE NITTY GRITTY
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, 2 cups olive oil and vinegar till fully blended. Add wet ingredients to dries. Using your hands, combine wet and dry ingredients till dough forms; add water by the tablespoon if necessary. Knead dough into a smooth ball (about 2 – 3 minutes); cover with cling film and set aside for at least an hour before rolling.
In the meantime, dice potatoes; placing them into a sizeable microwave safe bowl along with water and salt. Cover bowl tightly with cling film and microwave potatoes for 5 minutes. The bowl will be hot, and steam will cause burning, so, carefully lift one side of the plastic to check for doneness. Cover again carefully and nuke potatoes for another 4 – 5 minutes. Transfer potatoes evenly onto a tray lined with paper towels to absorb any moisture.
In a large skillet, heat 1 Tb olive oil at medium high. Add chorizo; cook thoroughly. Fold potatoes into chorizo till fully combined; cook for about another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let filling cool.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/4” thick; cut into about 4” rounds using 4” circular cookie mold or the lip of a large size measuring cup. Roll rounds out just a bit more about half inch. Fill each round with a heaping tablespoon of papas y chorizo in the center; fold over making a half-moon, pinching the ends. Using the tines of a fork, press down firmly around the edges to seal filling.
In the same pan, heat one cup of vegetable oil at medium high for about 2 minutes, or till oil starts to shimmer. Fry Puffanadas in batches, adding 3 to 4 at a time. Fry for about 2 – 3 minutes each side including bottoms, pastry will puff up and become crisp and golden; seams will burst. Transfer to paper towels to dry oily access.
Serve immediately. And how you serve it is entirely up to you. Pictured here, I served these capacious comestibles with ranch dressing. However, I’d also do sour cream and pickled jalapeños or go full taco and stuff them with cheese, lettuce and tomato!!
SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
