Title: Fried Empanadas with Beef or Chicken Filling
 Categories: Argentina, Chicken, Beef
      Yield: 24 servings
 
      1 kg Plain flour
    250 g  Butter, lard or margarine
      1    Egg
    400 ml Salted water
           Beef filling:
    150 g  Butter, lard or margarine
      2 tb Oil
    750 g  Minced beef
      8    Or 10 green (spring) onions
      1 tb Paprika
           Salt and pepper
      4    Hard boiled eggs, chopped
    250 g  Green olives
      1 ts Ground chilli
    1/4 c  Tomato puree
      1 ts Ground cumin
      1 ts Mixed spices
      1 ts Cinnamon
      1 c  Beef stock
           Chicken filling:
    500 g  Minced chicken
      3 tb To 4 tb oil
    200 g  Red capsicum, finely chopped
    300 g  Onions, finely chopped
      4 tb Tomato puree
      3    Hard-boiled eggs, chopped
 
  Dough: Oil or a mixture of oil and solid vegetable shortening for deep
  frying.
  
  To make dough: Sift the flour, add the melted shortening and the egg.
  Add the salted water bit by bit and mix to a firm dough. Knead for 10
  minutes if making by hand, 4-5 minutes if using an electric mixer
  with a dough hook, or 1-2 minutes if using a food processor with a
  dough hook. Leave it to rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
  
  To make the beef filling: Heat the oil and shortening in a frying pan
  and saute the green onions, finely chopped. Add the meat and stir
  until it is cooked. Stir in the tomato puree and remaining
  ingredients, cook for a few minutes more. Leave until completely cold
  before assem- bling empanadas.
  
  To make the chicken filling: Heat the oil and fry the onions, then
  add the capsicum and dry until soft. Add the minced chicken and stir
  until it has all changed colour. Season to taste, add the tomato
  puree, mix well and simmer for a further 3 minutes. Leave until
  completely cold before assembling empanadas.
  
  Assembly and cooking: Roll out the dough about 3 mm thick and, using a
  saucer or something similar as a guide, cut into 24-30 circles about
  14 cms in diameter. Divide whichever filling mixture you are using
  between the circles, putting it on one side of the circle only.
  Moisten the outer rim of the dough with water and fold over into a
  semi-circle. Curve the ends of the folded side together a little to
  form a crescent, then secure the joined edges by fold- ing them over
  each other in small sections to form a "rope" effect (if this sounds
  too confusing, just press together and decorate with a fork in the
  usual way). Heat about 6-8 cm deep frying oil to very hot and deep
  fry the empanadas one or two at a time just until golden. Remove from
  the oil immediately and drain well on kitchen paper. Serve very hot
  
  Halve the filling ingredients or double the dough if making both beef
  and chicken empanadas. Empanadas often include raisins or sultanas
  which create an interesting flavour contrast with the meat. A handful
  can be added to either of these recipes if you like.
  
  From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney Morning Herald,
  7/13/93. Courtesy Mark Herron.