CHICKEN CURRY EMPANADAS

Steps:

• See Photo Galleries for images of all three instruction sets. Also the video at the beginning of the blog shows how to crimp the dough edges.
• Dough
• Cube two sticks of cold butter. The wrappers can be folded in half and saved for lightly greasing the baking sheets.
• In a small bowl, beat two eggs. Mix in the white vinegar and water.
• Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or food processor with metal blade. Pulse or mix a few times to distribute the salt.
• Add all the butter pieces and mix/pulse until crumbly and no pieces are bigger than pea-sized. This also can be done in a bowl by hand, with two butter knives or a pastry cutter.
• Slowly drizzle in the egg-vinegar-water mixture while running the mixer.
• As soon as the dough comes together, remove it from the bowl, knead it a few times on a lightly floured counter, and then divide it in two pieces.
• Shape the pieces into squares (about one inch thick) to make later cutting easier. Wrap the squares tightly and refrigerate them at least 30 minutes and up to two days.
• Filling
• Grind 1 pound of raw chicken (about 2 breasts) in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can slightly freeze the chicken to make it easier to handle, and then chop it into small pieces with a sharp knife.
• Chop the onion and pepper(s).
• In a large fry pan, heat the oil, and then add the onion, pepper, and spices (not the salt). Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent.
• Add the ground chicken, bread crumbs, and water. Lightly simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Stir frequently and add more water to deglaze the pan if the mixture begins to stick to the pan.
• The filling should be wet but not watery. When you scrape some filling to the side, a puddle shouldn't form in the empty space, but if you press down on the mixture with a spoon, some liquid should creep over the edges of the spoon.
• Mix in a half teaspoon of salt, taste the filling, and add more as needed.
• Let the filling cool for about a half hour. You can transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate it to speed cooling. Also, you can make it a day ahead and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
• Assembly
• On a flat clean workspace, set out a rolling pin, bench knife or large knife, two large lightly greased baking sheets, and extra flour for dusting.
• Flour your work surface and remove one of the dough squares from the refrigerator.
• Unwrap the dough and cut it into 12 squares (4x3).
• Smoosh the cubes into small round discs.
• Roll each disc into a circle about 4-5 inches in diameter and ~1/8 inch thick. Flour lightly, just to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. The finished pieces can be layered in a staggered way.
• When you have finished all twelve, cover them with a slightly damp towel or a piece of plastic wrap to prevent them from drying while you do the next twelve.
• After all 24 circles are rolled out, begin preheating your oven to 375F, and remove the filling from the refrigerator.
• Assemble empanadas using your first batch of 12 dough circles first. I found it easiest to lay a dough circle in the palm of one hand, and put a dinner-spoonful of filling into the middle of the circle. Then I folded the dough in half and laid the empanada on the baking sheet. Resist the temptation to overstuff.
• Crimp the edges of the empanada with a fork, or using your two index fingers: one to anchor/limit the dough fold, and the other to fold the dough edges up and inward.
• When 12 empanadas are finished on the baking sheet, brush the top of them with a beaten egg, and put them in the preheated oven to bake for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
• While the first sheet is baking, assemble the second set of twelve empanadas and egg-wash them.
• You can put the second baking sheet in the oven while the first is still cooking. Just make sure to rotate and shift the tray(s) every 5 minutes or so.
• Let the empanadas cool about 10 minutes before eating.
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.
• Freezing is best done with uncooked empanadas before the egg-wash. Freeze on a flat surface and then transfer to a plastic bag or sealed container.