Bill's Empanadas

This recipe is very laborious, but it's well worth it. The empanadas come out buttery and flaky, but not too doughy. Bill got this recipe from the Food Network and, as he wrote to me in an email, "[the grocery store] was out of chorizo, so I substituted linguiza (now you know my dirty little secret). I also skipped the cilantro sour cream. Too much food, so little time."

INGREDIENTS

• 3 to 4 waxy red or white potatoes (about 1/2 pound), peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound chorizo sausage, casing removed
• 1 Spanish onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 12 large pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 recipe empanada dough, recipe follows

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water; add the salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium flame. Add the chorizo, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes, until the sausage renders its fat and gets crispy. Add the onion and garlic; season with the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and has a beautiful red color. Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes and fold them into the pan, using a wooden spoon, break up the potatoes into nickel-size pieces. Add the olives and raisins and toss everything together; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Allow the filling to cool before filling the empanadas. Serve with cilantro cream. Empanada Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup masa harina
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• Butter, for greasing the pans

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes. Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, Food Network.