I wanted to try to make Tuna Empanadas with green olives… but I’m the only one that eats tuna and green olives and if I make them I will probably end up eating all of them.
So I thought… why not try making them with chicken… wait, not just any chicken. I made them with chicken from a can! The one that looks and has the same texture of tuna. I know… you may be wondering who uses canned chicken but trust me… they turned out perfect. I felt like a real genius today. Now I know that there’s actually something we can do with all the cans of chicken we see in the supermarket’s shelves.
I’m using a different empanada dough because I feel is much easier to make. These empanadas are baked and they are really great. You can also use frozen puff pastry if you don’t have a lot of time to make your dough from scratch.
I made real tiny ones, just to eat a few. I bet these will be perfect for a party or get together. You can make them and instead of baking them right away you can freeze them.
Empanada Dough
Adapted from Gourmet, October 2004
Serves 8
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/3 cup ice water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
In a large bowl sift flour with salt and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal butter lumps (roughly pea-size).
Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated.
Turn out mixture onto a floured surface and knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.
Filling
Adapted from William Sonoma Taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 (9.75 oz.) can white chicken, drained
- 1 tablespoon pitted, chopped green olives, such as Manzanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon pimentón dulce or sweet paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 egg, beaten
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add canned chicken, olives, sweet paprika, salt, pepper and parsley. Cook, stirring, for 3 minute more. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll dough into 14-15 inch circle. Using a round cookie cutter, cut dough into about 22 3-inch rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken filling into center of a round. Brush edges with beaten egg. Gently fold pastry over filling to make a half-moon. Using tines of a fork, press edges closed and make a few holes in top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
