Chammorro Empanada Recipe

How to make it

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• Preparation:
• prepare masa dough by combining dry ingredients first, in a large mixing bowl.
• Depending where you live..(believe me, it really does matter) gradually add water until dough forms. Add more or less water until you get the consistency of a smooth, yet pliable dough. In dryer states, you'll need more water, in colder states, you'll need less. Trust me.
• NOW COVER THE DOUGH WITH PLASTIC WRAP OR A HEAVY TOWEL SET ASIDE TO REST AND START MAKING FILLING.
• Steps for filling:
• In a medium size cooking pot, saute onions, garlic, ginger, and achote powder over medium-high heat, until achote powder is totally combined with arromatics.
• Add cooked chicken, or bacon to pot and continue cooking for about five minutes.
• Add chicken stock and stir with wire wisk until liquid starts to steam.
• Slowly add the cream of rice constantly stirring pot so that it doesn't lump.
• Lower heat to medium, continue stirring until filling starts to thicken. You'll "feel" the difference. When filling starts seperating from the sides of the pot and starts coming together at the center, you'll know that's when to stop. Remove immediately from heat and set aside to cool.
• Now...here's the most important step...DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT ASSEMBLE EMPANADAS UNTIL THE FILLING IS COMPLETELY COOL. YOU MIGHT WANT TO MAKE THE FILLING FIRST BEFORE THE MASA DOUGH AND STORE IT IN THE FRIDGE TILL THE NEXT DAY.
• Empanada assembly:
• okay, here's the fun part. Now you all have seen what empanada looks like. I don't think I need to explain the steps but I'll do it anyway.
• Roll masa dough into 2 inch circles, with two pieces of wax paper about 6in. squared, you want to place dough directly in the middle of one (1) sheet of paper.
• Cover the top of the dough with the other sheet of paper and using a tortilla press, or a rolling pin, you want to roll out the dough to the desired thickness of the empanada you want. this will take practice, but promise you'll get the hang of it.
• Take off the top piece of wax paper and add the cooled filling in the middle of the dough. Do not over fill, if you do, the empanada will break in the frying pot and it will create a big, big mess.
• Fold the top half of the dough over the filling touching the bottom half of the dough. seal the dough by feeling where you filled the dough in the middle and pressing outward. this will release any air pockets you might have created while folding over the empanada.
• Continue this process until all the dough you made are now empanadas.
• HERE'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP. although you may fry this right away. I'd advice you keep the empanada in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before frying. This will help at ease with handling empanada...cold empanada=better looking empanada.
• In a large frying pan, (use a wok, it's the best) heat salad oil to 350 degrees (check with thermometer) carefully drop empanadas, maybe 2-3 at a time and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Take off from heat and let cool on paper towels, set aside. I KNOW YOU'RE THINKING ONLY THIS AMOUNT OF TIME? TRUST ME..THE FRYING PART ISN'T FINISHED YET. After you've completed this with every empanada.... Refry, yes, refry all the empanadas again 2-3 at a time, and continue cooking for another 3-5 minute or until you see the empanada is a dark mahagony color..umbee lai...you know how empanada is s'pos to look kay?