PINOY HAPAGKAINAN

Empanada

( Filipino Chicken Puffs )

Stuffed pastry baked or fried, made by folding dough around stuffings.

Which usually consists of  variety of meats, vegetables or fruits. For this recipe

we used chicken and pork, cooked with can sausage and raisins.

Ingredients :

        Pastry Fillings

• 1 cup breast chicken
• 1/2 cup can sausage (Vienna Sausage)
• 1/4 kg ground pork
• 1 medium size onion
• 1 large tomato
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon Fish sauce (depend on your taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions :

• Boil the chicken in a small amount of water, shred and sliced the into small pieces. Keep the broth.
• Heat the oil in a skillet, saute garlic, onion and tomato.
• Add the ground pork and stir fry for 1 minute, stir in water or broth. Cover and simmer until the pork are tender.
• Add chicken and sausage, season with fish sauce and ground pepper.
• Add the raisins, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Set aside and let it cool.

Ingredients :

      Pastry Crust 

• 2 1/2 all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter

Directions :

• Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the butter and cut with fork or pastry blender till pieces are the size of corn.
• Mix milk, vinegar and egg, add to the dry ingredients. Knead by hand and form the dough into ball.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces, start by rolling each dough into 1/8 inch thick and cut into circle by using the back of the empanada moulds.

Cooking Directions :

• Place an exact amount of fillings to the center of the dough, fasten by closing the empanada moulds.
• This may then be deep fried or baked in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 C), until golden brown.

Cooking Tips :

• For baking, combine lightly beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of water, brush each puffs with egg mixture.
• Poked with the fork the surface of each puff to allow steam, to escape while baking.
• For a tastier filling, add spaghetti sauce into the mixture.
• Any vegetable, meat or fruit of your choice can be added.
• Leftover afritada, menudo or adobo can be used as a fillings, Try to experiment.
• Open both end of a large corned beef can, this can be use as an empanada moulds. place an exact amount of filling, fold and  fasten by using a fork.