Empadinha de palmito
Empadinha de palmito: small crumbly Rio pies filled with creamy heart of palm
BrazilianRio's padarias and lanchonetes stack trays of empadinhas on their counters, and the heart-of-palm one is the meat-free favourite: a short, buttery crust that melts in the mouth around a creamy, savoury filling of palmito, tomato and olives. They are snack food eaten standing at the counter with a guaraná, party food passed round at birthdays, and something to pack for the beach. The pastry is very rich and almost crumbles at a touch, so press it into tins rather than rolling it. Buy palm hearts from cultivated pupunha or açaí palms rather than wild juçara. Many bakers make the filling too runny, and it boils over and soaks the crust; it should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright. Chef's tip: chill the lined tins for 15 minutes before filling, so the pastry keeps its shape and bakes crisp.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the filling
To glaze
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rub 5 ½ oz cold unsalted butter into 10 ½ oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg yolk and 3 tbsp cold water and press together into a soft dough, without kneading. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Cook 1 onion for 3 minutes, until soft, then add 1 clove garlic and 1 tomato and cook for 2 minutes more.
5 minStep 3: Add 10 ½ oz heart of palm and ½ tsp salt and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until heated through.
3 minStep 4: Whisk 1 tbsp cornflour into ¾ cup milk, pour into the pan and stir over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, until it is thick and creamy and holds a spoon upright. Stir in 1 ⅜ oz green olives and 2 tbsp parsley and leave to cool.
4 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Press two-thirds of the pastry into 12 small tart or muffin tins, about 3 mm thick, up the sides. Chill for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 6: Fill each case with the cooled filling, almost to the top.
Step 7: Press the rest of the pastry into thin lids, lay them on top and pinch the edges to seal. Brush with 1 egg yolk.
Step 8: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden on top and the pastry has shrunk slightly from the tins.
28 minStep 9: Cool for 10 minutes before easing them out. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does empadinha de palmito take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 cold unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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