INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Servings: Makes 50 1/2-inch empanadas  Notes: Empanadas are Brazil's
national appetizer, tiny pies filled  with chicken olives, and peas.
Belita's are famous all over Brazil.  Empanadas are traditionally made
in special molds that are almost as  deep as they are wide. If they are
unavailable, any small tartlet  molds will do. "The secret to making
good dough," says Belita, "is to  massage it, not knead it." It may
look as if she's making mud pies,  but the results are truly superb.
For the dough:  To prepare the dough: Place the flour in a large mixing
bowl and make  a well in the center. Place the butter, shortening,
eggs, salt, and 1  cup water in the well. Using one hand to mix,
squeeze these  ingredients through your fingers to make a paste.
Gradually work in  the flour, squeezing the dough between your fingers
to mix it. Add  water as necessary; the dough should be quite soft. Let
the dough  rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.  Heat the
oil in a large saucepan. Saute the onion and garlic over  medium heat
for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add the  chicken, bay
leaf, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, plus water just to  cover. Bring
to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or  until the
chicken is cooked. Skim off the fat that rises to the  surface. Remove
the chicken, then strain and reserve the broth.  When the chicken is
cool enough to handle, discard the skin and  remove the meat from the
bone. Finely shred the meat with your  fingers or in a food processor.
Stir in the flour, peas, and olives.  Stir in 3 to 4 Tbsp broth; the
filling should be moist but not runny.  Add enough cayenne to give the
chicken a little bite.  Pinch off cherry-sized pieces of dough and use
them to line the  tartlet molds. Belita pushes the dough in with her
thumb. The dough  should just reach over the top of the mold. Place a
spoonful of  filling in each crust.  Roll out the remaining dough and
cut out tops for the empanadas. Try  to capture an air bubble when you
place the top over the filling;  according to Belita, this is what
makes the pies light. Seal the  tartlets by pinching together the top
and bottom crust. Note: The  empanadas can be prepared ahead to this
stage and frozen.  Preheat the oven to 350-F. Brush the tops with egg
glaze. Bake for 30  minutes or until golden brown. Unmold and serve.
Source: Yankee magazine, April 1991, recipe from Belita de
CastroBrazilian cook, cookbook author.  From: Sallie Austin  From
Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“There has to be more to life . . .”