Corn Empanadas Corn Empanadas Food

SHRIMP AND CORN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: In a food processor, pulse flour, lard and salt until the mixture resembles sand. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, water and vinegar with a fork. Add to flour mixture, pulsing until just incorporated. Turn out onto plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the corn on a baking sheet and roast in the oven about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove, cool and cut off the kernels with a knife.
• In a medium skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil followed by the bell pepper, garlic and shallot. Cook, stirring frequently, about 3 to 4 minutes, then add 1/2 cup wine, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring back to a simmer and continue cooking until liquid has reduced by half. Place into a blender and puree. Set aside.
• In another medium skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When just smoking, 1 to 2 minutes, add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until shrimp are opaque and liquid has reduced slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and roughly chop the shrimp.
• In a bowl, mix together the pureed bell pepper mixture, the corn and shrimp. Chill about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble: In a small bowl, beat egg with 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/16-inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 8 rounds of dough. Brush edges with egg wash. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in middle of each round, and fold the dough over to enclose the filling. Crimp edges with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Brush tops with more beaten egg. Bake until golden brown,10 to 12 minutes.

EMPANADAS ABIERTAS DE HUMITA (CREAMY CORN EMPANADAS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Line the muffin cups with the 12 pastry rounds.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir green onions until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add corn, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cook and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
• Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until a paste forms, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly, and cook until a thick sauce forms and starts to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half of the Parmesan cheese and stir until smooth; remove from heat. Stir sauce into corn mixture.
• Fill pastry with corn mixture and top each with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes.

CORN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Put 2 cups boiling water, 4 ounces lard and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to melt lard and dissolve salt. Cool to room temperature.
• Gradually stir in flour with a wooden spoon until dough comes together. Knead for a minute or two on a floured board, until firm and smooth. Add more flour if sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Make the filling: Melt 3 tablespoons lard in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook briskly, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, corn, garlic, cumin and thyme. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir well. Add about 1 cup broth or water and simmer until potatoes are softened and liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add roasted peppers, ham, ricotta and cayenne and stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning for full flavor (intensity will diminish upon cooling). Stir in Gruyère and scallions. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Divide chilled dough into 1-ounce pieces and form into 2-inch diameter balls. Roll each piece into a 4 1/2-inch circle. Lay circles on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
• Moisten outer edge of each round with water. Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each round. Wrap dough around filling to form empanada, pressing edges together. Fold edge back and finish by pinching little pleats or crimping with a fork.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place empanadas on parchment-lined or oiled baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Brush tops lightly with lard or butter and bake on top shelf of oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

CREAMY CORN EMPANADAS: HUMITAS

Steps:

• Make the filling: Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until smooth and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Add the milk slowly while whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, paying special attention to the corners of the saucepan. Add the paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the corn and parsley, return to a simmer. Scrape the filling into a bowl and cool completely before filling wrappers.
• To Form: Moisten the edges of 1 of the empanada wrappers with a fingertip dipped in warm water. Center a generous 1/3-cup of the filling on the wrapper. Bring the sides of the wrapper together to meet over the filling and pinch the sides together to seal and form a half-moon shape. Lay the half-moon flat on the work surface. Work you way around the edges, bringing about 1/2-inch of the bottom layer of dough up and over the top layer, to make a mini-pleat. Press as you go to seal the pleats. If you don't want to mess with crimping, just seal the edges all the way around with the tips of the tines of a fork.
• Fry the Empanadas: (empanadas may also be baked; see Note below): Pour enough vegetable or canola oil into a large heavy skillet to fill about 3/4-inch up the sides. Heat over medium heat until the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon immersed in the oil gives off a lively sizzle, about 375 degrees F. Carefully slip as many of the empanadas into the oil as will fit without crowding. Cook until the dough is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip and repeat. Drain briefly on paper towels before serving. Repeat with remaining empanadas.
• Note: To bake empanadas, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or use a nonstick baking sheet. Bake until the empanadas are light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool a few minutes before serving.

ARGENTINEAN CORN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat 1 tablespoon corn oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add corn and roasted red peppers; saute for 5 minutes or until the corn is fully cooked. Season with sugar, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to medium bowl, stir in cheese and heavy whipping cream. Let cool.
• On a cutting board, place 6 empanada shells side by side. Place a spoonful of the corn-cheese filling on 1 side of the circle. Moisten the tip of your finger with a small amount of water and moisten the edges of the circle with your finger. Fold the dough over the filling to make a half-circle. Press the edges with a fork to seal.
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the empanadas on prepared baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make egg wash. Brush the top of the empanadas with the egg wash and bake for 20 minutes or until top is browned.
• Let cool and serve.

CORN, CHEESE & CHILLI EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Make the filling by mixing the corn, coriander, spring onion, cheese and chilli with some seasoning.
• Unroll the pastry sheet, roll a little thinner with a rolling pin, then use a 10cm circle cutter to cut out circles of pastry. (You should get 6 circles, then re-roll the trimmings for 2 more.) Brush edges of the circles with a little of the beaten egg, then spoon a couple of teaspoonfuls of filling mixture onto each. Fold over one half of the pastry, and seal by pinching the edge with your fingers, until you have 8 small pastyshaped empanadas. Arrange on a baking parchment lined baking sheet, brush with the rest of the egg and scatter with sesame seeds. Cover and chill for at least 30 mins before baking.
• To serve, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and bake for 20 mins until golden and crisp.

CHICKEN AND CORN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, corn, raisins, cilantro, onion, cheese, salt, and pepper.
• With a biscuit cutter, cut an equal number of circles from each pie crust. (I made mine as rounds from a 2-inch biscuit cutter ~ I topped each circle with another circle! If your biscuit cutter is large enough, you may be able to fill, then fold over the dough before crimping.).
• Spoon some of the chicken mixture onto half your dough circles, leaving a border. Brush the edges with water, fold in half, or top with another circle, and press with a fork to seal. Poke a couple of holes (or a slit) in the top crust to let out steam!
• Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
• Makes eight 4-inch empanadas~ serves four adults (2 empanadas each). The yield using a 2-inch cutter was 14 (2-inch) empanadas.