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Empadão goiano

Chicken, pork and cheese pie

Empadão goiano: deep pie of chicken, pork, sausage, cheese, egg and bitter guariroba palm

In Goiás, the empadão goiano is the pride of padarias and lanchonetes, and families bake it for festas and Sundays in individual clay dishes or one deep tin. Under a short, crumbly lard pastry sits a juicy filling of shredded chicken, cubes of pork loin and pork sausage in a tomato sauce, with slices of fresh cheese, boiled egg and guariroba, a bitter palm heart from the cerrado. It is savoury, rich and slightly bitter, best eaten warm with a tomato salad. Guariroba is sold in jars in Brazilian shops; ordinary palm hearts work but are milder. The pitfall is a filling that is too wet, which makes a soggy base; it should be thick and juicy, not soupy. The chicken must reach 74 °C and the pork 71 °C before it goes into the pie. Chef's tip: chill the pastry-lined dish for 15 minutes before filling so the lard firms up and the pastry stays short.
Total time
135 min
Difficulty
hard
Serves
8
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Ingredients

Serves8

For the pastry

  • 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for rolling
  • 6 ½ oz lardcold, cubed (or butter)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp water, to glaze

For the filling

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (11)

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Method

0/9 done
  1. Step 1: Rub 6 ½ oz lard into 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and 1 tsp salt with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and ¼ cup cold water and bring together into a soft dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

    10 min
  2. Step 2: Simmer 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighs in 1 ¼ cups water with ½ tsp salt on a low heat for 20 minutes until cooked through (165°F). Lift out, keep the broth and shred the meat.

    20 min
  3. Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat and brown 10 ½ oz pork loin and 7 oz smoked pork sausage (linguiça) for 8–10 minutes until well coloured and cooked through (160°F, no pink).

    10 min
  4. Step 4: Add 1 onion and 4 cloves garlic and cook for 5 minutes, then add 3 tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

    10 min
  5. Step 5: Add the shredded chicken, 250 ml of the chicken broth, the rest of ¾ cup water and the rest of 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and juicy rather than soupy. Stir in 4 tbsp parsley and spring onion and cool.

    10 min
  6. Step 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Roll out two-thirds of the pastry 5 mm thick and line a deep 24 cm pie dish. Chill for 15 minutes.

    15 min
  7. Step 7: Spoon in half the filling, then layer 7 oz guariroba (bitter palm heart), 7 oz fresh Minas cheese or mozzarella, 3 eggs and 2 ⅛ oz green olives, and cover with the rest of the filling.

  8. Step 8: Roll out the rest of the pastry for a lid, lay it on top, press and crimp the edges and cut a small steam hole. Brush with 1 egg yolk.

  9. Step 9: Bake for 45–50 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling bubbles at the steam hole. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

    50 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
720 kcal
Protein
38 g
Carbs
54 g
Fat
39 g
Fibre
3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does empadão goiano take?
About 135 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of plain flour?
Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
What can I use instead of egg?
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).

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