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Have you always loved Puerto Rican food but have no idea how to make it at home? Or do you need help finding where to go to get certain ingredients to give your meal that Latin flair? Read on for great recipes, techniques, and where to get all your hard-to-find Hispanic ingredients!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Shrimp & Chorizo Empanadas

Shrimp & Chorizo Empanadas

I'm a sucker for a great empanada. On a recent trip to Puerto Rico, unfortunately I could not find any that could stand up to mine.  When I returned back home, one of the first things I did was go shopping for my empanada ingredients.  A great supermarket chain that carries MANY hispanic ingredients is Compare.  Not only will you find all of your hispanic ingredients here, but all the meats and produce are cheaper than any other supermarket out there.  During my shopping experience I decided that I wanted something different then the normal beef empanada.  I knew I wanted some type of seafood but needed to add a little extra kick!  So I decided to pair the shrimp with chorizo and shredded monterey jack cheese.  Little did I know these were soon to be my all time favorite empanadas!! 

Shrimp & Chorizo Empanadas Recipe with a Spicy Sourcream Dip:
(Serves 10)
1Pkg of Premade Round Discos (Goya brand) found in the frozen section (white or orange doesn't matter) (defrosted)
1 lb of large/jumbo shrimp, washed, peeled, devained and tails removed
1 Package of chorizo (spanish sausage) (there are several types, pick whatevers on sale)
1/2 red bell bepper diced
1/2 red onion
Cilantro (about handful chopped)
1/4 cup of shredded monterey jack (or any other type of shredded cheese you like)
1 cup of vegetable or canola oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Filling:
Split the chorizo down the middle lengthwise with your knife.  Sautee on a skillet, periodically adding 1-2 teaspoons of water to the pan to prevent drying out, until thoroughly cooked through, and remove from heat.  Carefully (chorizo will be hot) chop up chorizo and set aside. Chop the pepper and onion and sautee in same pan as you cooked the chorizo.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the pan with the onions and peppers.  Before the shrimp is cooked all the way through add the chorizo back into the pan.  Stir together until shrimp is cooked through.  Turn off heat and add the shredded cheese and mix thoroughly.  The cheese will be melted by the time you are ready to fill your empanadas.

Filling your empanadas:
Sprinkly flour over your counter so dough won't stick as you roll out.  One by one roll out the edges of your empanadas slightly with a rolling pin, not too much.  Hold in the palm of your hand and fill just the center of the dough with your filling.  Fold the top over to meet the bottom and with a fork, go around the edges and press down to create a seal.  Now, flip over and do the same to the other side.  Tip: Keep the plastic or paper that separates your empanadas and use them to separate the new ones that you have just filled before frying/baking.  Once they are all filled then you can start frying or baking.  Heat your oil and when ready start frying your empanads 2/3 at a time until they turn golden brown and the dough starts to bubble a bit.  Then remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. 

Spicy Sourcream Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup sourcream
Few drops of your favorite hot sauce
Mix well

*For a healthier version you can bake these on 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 

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