Empanada

Instructions

Dissolve the salt in the cold water. Mix the eggs, flour, butter and 1 cup of the salted water into a dough, then knead while adding more water a little at a time until the dough is soft and stretchy. If it turns sticky, work in more flour.

Let the dough rest for a couple of minutes, then roll it out to about 2-3 mm (1/10 inch) thick. Cut it into discs 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) across.

For the filling, dice the onion small and soften it in oil in a large frying pan, adding the minced garlic if you are using the olive oil version. Add the ground beef and brown it, stirring in the salt, sugar and spices as it cooks.

For the version with a bay leaf, let the filling simmer for about 20 minutes so the flavors blend, then remove the bay leaf. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the raisins, plus sliced olives, egg or potatoes if you like.

Put 1-2 tablespoons of filling in the center of a dough disc. For Chilean empanadas, add a piece of diced hard-boiled egg beside the filling.

Wet the outer edge of the disc with cold water and fold it in half over the filling, pressing out any air so the pastry does not burst when cooked.

Seal the edge in the traditional way: hold the empanada in your palm and pinch and twist small finger-sized sections of dough along the rounded edge until the whole seam is closed. Pressing with a fork also works, but the filling is more likely to break through. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Deep fry the empanadas in vegetable oil over medium heat until golden brown. Or brush them with butter and bake on a cookie sheet at 400 °F for 8-10 minutes, until light brown. Let them cool before eating.