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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Empanadillas with Chorizo, Pimentos & Spinach

Prep time
30–40 minutes PT40M
Cook time
30–35 minutes PT35M
Yield
About 30 tapas
Difficulty
2 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
Empanadillas with Chorizo, Pimentos & Spinach Nugget Markets signature recipes

Stuffed with a host of vibrant flavors, these tasty fried pockets of perfection are a great addition to any tapas spread.

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup solid vegetable shortening, chilled
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup very cold milk

Filling:

  • ¾ cup minced chorizo
  • ½ cup minced onion
  • 5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • ¼ cup chopped raisins
  • 1 cup chopped pimento
  • ½ cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking:

  • 1 cups canola oil

Preparation

To make the dough, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening until crumbly. Lightly mix in the egg and milk just until it holds together, adding a little water if needed—do not overwork the dough. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

For the filling, sauté chorizo until it releases some of its oil, then add onions and continue to cook until onions are translucent. Add spinach, lemon zest, raisins, pimento, pine nuts, salt and pepper and cook until dry. Cool to room temperature.

To assemble, roll dough out to about ⅛ inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into 3-inch circles. Lightly moisten the edges of a dough circle with water and place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center. Fold the pastry to form a half-circle. Press the edges together with a fork and set aside. Repeat until all dough and filling have been used.  

Fry empanadillas in oil a few at a time over medium heat until they are golden brown, turning once. Keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.

Techniques used in this recipe:

fry
fry: to cook in fat or oil over direct heat.

Glossary:

baking powder

A chemical leavener made with an acidic ingredient and an alkaline one; most commonly these are sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and cream of tartar.

zest

Colored part of the peel of citrus fruit which contains flavorful oils.