Argentine Empanadas

I can provide you with a recipe to prepare Argentine empanadas, with an Italian twist. The traditional ingredients of Argentine empanadas include fillings made from meat, bell peppers, onions, and spices. Here is a basic recipe, which you can customize according to your taste.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 500g of wheat flour
• 120ml of water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg
• 100g of butter or lard

Ingredients for the filling:

• 300g of ground beef
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (here’s the Italian twist)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• Pitted green olives, sliced (as much as you like)
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped

Preparation

1. Start with the dough: pour the flour into a bowl, add the salt and mix. Add the butter or lard in small pieces and work the mixture until it becomes a crumbly dough.
2. Add the egg and mix, then gradually pour in the water until a smooth dough is obtained. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. For the filling, heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onions and bell pepper until soft.
4. Add the ground meat, fry until fully cooked. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika.
5. Remove the stuffing from the heat and let it cool. Then add the chopped hard-boiled eggs, olives, and parsley, and mix well.
6. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out to a thickness of about 3 mm. Use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut out discs of dough.
7. Place a heaping spoonful of filling in the center of each dough disk. Moisten the edges slightly with water, fold the dough into a half-moon, and seal the edges by pressing with a fork or making the typical repulgo (decorative fold of empanadas).
8. Preheat the oven to 180 °C, place the empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.

Trivia

Empanadas are a versatile dish that can be found in many local variants all over South America. In Argentina, in particular, the ingredients and cooking methods can vary greatly depending on the region, creating a wide range of flavors.