CHICKEN EMPANADES

Chicken Empanades image

This recipe calls for Salsa Lizano. It is a tangy sour condiment that Costa Ricans love and put on everything. Empanades are wonderful served plain or with toppings. Add the toppings of your choice to this delicious recipe.

Provided by Baby Kato @BabyKato

Number Of Ingredients 23

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Ingredients

DOUGH
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 1 chicken boullion cube
- 1/2 cup water
FILLING:
- 2 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1" pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, medium, yellow, finely diced
- 1 small tomato, finely diced
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp salsa lizano
- vegetable oil, for frying
SALSA LIZANO
- 2 dried chiles, cleaned, deseeded, stems removed, cut in half lenght wise
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 small onion, yellow, coarsley chopped
- 1/2 thick carrot, (4-inch piece) chopped
- 2 tbsp sugar, white
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp vinegar, white
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, freshly ground
- 2 tsp salt, sea, fine
- 2 tsp mollasses

Steps:

Dough: Add the cornmeal and chicken bouillon into a large bowl, then add the water and mix until smooth. Set to rest until needed.
Filling: Preheat pan on high heat, lower heat to medium and add the garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes then turn heat up high and add the chicken pieces; sprinkle with salt and fry for 2 more minutes and then add the salsa Lizano and the tomatoes. Continue stir frying until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.
Heat a cast iron frying pan with a 1/2" of oil. (for frying empanadas)
Make Tortillias - use press, if you don't have a press, then try this method. Take a large handful of dough,(size of your palm) roll it into a ball and gently press down to smash the dough into a thin round shape.
To assemble the Empanada: To your prepared dough add the stuffing, lay it length wise in the middle. Now fold in half; pressing along edges to seal the empanada. Do this until all dough and filling has been used. Fry the empanada on both sides until golden brown and crunchy.
Salsa Lizano: Pre-heat a pan over medium heat; add the chili pieces and toast for 2 minutes before turning. Lower the heat and add the water, simmering for five minutes. Now remove the chili from the pan and put into a blender. Measure out 1 cup of the water the chili simmered in and add it to the blender. Next, add the onion, carrot, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and molasses. Blend until smooth, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour into a jar, top with lid, refridgerate until needed. This sauce will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.