The best thing about making Dad’s Mexican chilli is leftovers. Leftovers = empanadas.
These aren’t traditional Argentine empanadas – the ‘Mexican’ is clue there – but I grew up with them, so they are my fave.
I ate my body weight in empanadas twice over when I visited Argentina in 2009. Empanadas vary hugely from region to region. The best I found were in Cordoba, where they were beefy, salty, juicy and fried. Further North they start adding more sugar or fruits, like raisins, which I am not a big fan of in savoury foods.
I never did find any with boiled egg and green olives – the one element of my Dad’s that he swears is traditional – but Portena at Borough Market (easily the best empanadas in London) use both so it must be a thing somewhere in Argentina.
Makes 20 approx.
Ingredients
3 eggs
Flour, for dusting
500g shortcrust pastry (recipe here, or use ready-made)
250g Dad’s Mexican chilli (or whatever you have leftover)
20 green olives, pitted
Oil, for greasing
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Boil 2 of the eggs until firm, but not too hard. Leave to cool. Peel the cold boiled eggs, then cut them in half and slice thinly.
Lightly dust a clean worktop with flour. Roll out the pastry to approx. 3 millimetres thickness.
Whisk the last egg to use as an egg wash.
To make each empanada, cut out a circle approx. 12cm in diameter (or whatever size you prefer). You can use a large cookie cutter for this if you have one.
Place a small amount of mince on one side of the circle of pastry. (Use less than you think you need, as it will not seal properly with too much mince and the juices will run out if it isn’t sealed).
Put a slice of boiled egg at one end and an olive at the other. Season with salt and pepper, if required. Fold the pastry over and seal the edges by pressing down firmly with your fingers all the way around (or use a fork).
Brush each pastry with egg wash. Place on a large, flat, lightly greased baking tray.
Bake until golden brown (approx. 15 mins).
