Eva's Kitchen - Eva Longoria Parker [9]
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. Form the dough into 30 golf ball–size balls; keep the balls covered with a damp cloth. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a 4-inch circle. Fill each with a scant tablespoon of the mashed sweet potatoes. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half circle and pinch the edges together. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth. Continue until all the empanadas are formed.
6. Remove the cloth and press the tines of a fork around the edge of each empanada to crimp. Bake until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Transfer to a platter and serve warm.
DEEP-FRYING When done correctly, deep-frying produces tender and moist food with a light and crispy exterior. It is not hard to do, especially if you follow just a few important guidelines. To begin, the right tools make the job easier. Invest in a deep-fry thermometer, which is widely available and inexpensive, and takes all the guesswork out of the most important aspect of deep-frying: the temperature of the oil. If you fry in oil that is not hot enough, the food will be soggy; too hot, and the food will burn on the outside before it is cooked on the inside. To use a deep-fry thermometer, simply clip it to the side of the pan so that the bulb of the thermometer is in the oil but not touching the bottom of the pan. Monitor the temperature of the oil throughout the frying process and adjust the heat up or down as necessary to maintain the oil’s temperature. Second, use a large, deep pan such as a Dutch oven or a deep, straight-sided skillet. Last, a “spider”—basically a long-handled strainer—or a slotted spoon makes it easy to add and remove food from the hot oil.
A few techniques will help you produce the moist interiors and crispy exteriors that the best deep fryers are known for. First and most important, don’t overcrowd the pan. The more cold food you add, the quicker the temperature of the oil will drop and the soggier the end result will be. Fry in batches to maintain a steadier temperature, but make sure the temperature of the oil is returned to the indicated temperature after removing one batch and before adding the next batch. Next, do not skimp on the amount of oil you use. The food you’re frying needs room to move around without being crowded. Finally, make sure to remove any large bits of food or coating left in the oil between batches. This can burn and impart flavors to the food you are frying.
argentinean empanadas
These are not the empanadas I grew up with, and until my Argentinean friend Lorena came over one day and made them with me, I would never have considered combining beef with olives and egg whites—but I took one taste and was hooked. Each bite offers an exciting combination of flavors and textures. The secret is that a little cube of Manchego, a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese, is nestled into the center of each empanada. When the empanadas are baked or fried, the cheese melts and adds a subtle creaminess, the source of which is elusive to anyone who didn’t see you put in the cheese.
Empanada dough disks can be found in the frozen section of many grocery stores or Latin markets. They are made with regular shortening dough or puff pastry; either works beautifully for this recipe. These empanadas are amazing when deep-fried, but they’re also really delicious when simply baked; directions for both are below. Read more about deep-frying.
MAKES 25 TO 30 EMPANADAS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds lean ground beef
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
¾ cup chopped Spanish green olives stuffed with pimientos
3 hard-cooked egg whites, chopped
Vegetable oil, for