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Empanadas de añejo
Fried corn potato and cheese empanadas
Empanadas de añejo: Pasto's fried empanadas of soured corn dough with potato and cheese
Pasto cafés and street stalls fry empanadas de añejo all morning, and the name gives away the secret: añejo means aged, and the corn dough is left to sour slightly before shaping. That gentle fermentation gives a light, crackly shell with a faint tang that sets them apart from the empanadas of the rest of Colombia. The filling here is the meat-free version Nariño cooks also make, potato stewed with spring onion and achiote and mixed with fresh cheese, and they go to the table with a peanut ají and a coffee. Plan for 24 hours of fermenting. Queso fresco is usually set with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian (microbial-rennet) cheese if needed. Thick dough is the misstep that makes them heavy and greasy; press it thin enough to see light through. Chef's tip: ferment in a cool spot (no warmer than 22 °C), covered, for no more than 24 hours, then chill the dough until you shape it.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground annatto (achiote)
For the filling
- 16 oz yellow potatoespeeled and cut into 1 cm dice
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 spring onionsfinely chopped
- 1 tomatofinely chopped
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 ½ oz queso frescocrumbled; traditionally made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian (microbial-rennet) cheese
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil
For the peanut ají
- 2 ⅛ oz roasted unsalted peanuts
- ½ cup water
- 1 hot red chilliseeded
- 1 spring onionfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: A day ahead, mix 14 oz yellow precooked corn flour (masarepa), 2 cups warm water, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground annatto (achiote) in a clean bowl and knead for 3 minutes, until smooth and soft.
3 minStep 2: Cover with a clean cloth and leave in a cool spot (no warmer than 72°F) for 24 hours, until it smells slightly sour, like sourdough. Then cover tightly and refrigerate until needed, up to 1 day more.
Step 3: For the filling, boil 16 oz yellow potatoes in salted water for 8–10 minutes, until just tender, and drain.
9 minStep 4: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 3 spring onions for 3 minutes, then add 1 tomato, ¼ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp salt and cook for 5 minutes, until thick and jammy.
8 minStep 5: Fold in the potato, crushing a few pieces so it holds together. Cool for 15 minutes, then stir in 5 ½ oz queso fresco.
15 minStep 6: Knead the dough again for 1 minute, adding a splash of water if it cracks. Divide into 24 balls the size of a walnut.
Step 7: Place a ball between two sheets of plastic cut from a freezer bag and press with a flat plate into a 12 cm round, very thin.
Step 8: Peel off the top sheet, put a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre, fold over using the plastic and press the edges with the rim of a glass to seal and trim. Repeat with the rest.
Step 9: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry 4–5 empanadas at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
20 minStep 10: For the ají, blend 2 ⅛ oz roasted unsalted peanuts with ½ cup water, 1 hot red chilli and ½ tsp salt until coarse. Stir in 1 spring onion and 2 tbsp fresh coriander.
Step 11: Serve the empanadas hot with the peanut ají to spoon into each bite.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does empanadas de añejo take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of yellow potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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