Recipe - Empanadas Valencianas (Stuffed Savory Pastries)

EMPANADA DOUGH
2 cup Allpurpose flour
One half teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Pernod
1/3 cup Olive oil
Ice water, or version 2

YEAST EMPANADA DOUGH
1 tablespoon Fresh yeast, or
2 teaspoon Dried yeast, mixed with
1 tablespoon Warm water
3 One half cup Allpurpose flour
One fourth cup Olive oil
1 One fourth teaspoon Salt
Three fourths cup Water, or
Milk and water, mixed

FILLING
1 Leek, trim, rinse & chop
1 lg Garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Sm, ripe tomatoes* peel,
seed, chop
4 ounce Jamon serrano or other cured
ham*, very finely minced
2 Hardboiled eggs, chopped
1 tablespoon Parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 Egg, beaten

EMPANADA DOUGH 1 Sift flour and salt onto a board and make a well in the
centre. Add the Pernod and olive oil, cover with flour and work partially
in. Add enough ice water to make a smooth but reasonably firm dough. Knead
lightly, then wrap in plastic and set aside for at least 1 hour before
using. This makes enough for 6 large or 3648 small empanadas. YEAST
EMPANADA DOUGH 2 Dissolve the fresh yeast in 2 tbsp lukewarm water, then
stir in 2 tbsp flour. Let stand for 10 mins for yeast to activate. Sift
flour onto board, and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, and
mix in lightly. Add oil and salt, cover with flour and mix in lightly
again. Add the water to make a smooth dough, kneading for a few minutes.
Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth. Let rise for 1 hour. Roll
out very thinly, fold into quarters and roll again. Repeat this 3 or 4
times to make a pastry with a light layered texture. Wrap in plastic and
chill for up to 2 hours. Often this pastry is glazed with beaten egg tinted
with saffron. FILLING Saute the leek with garlic in the oil until softened,
add tomato and cook briefly. Add the ham and saute briefly, then remove
from the pan and let cool. Mix chopped eggs and parsley into filling,
seasoning to taste. Roll out the dough thinly and use a circular cutter to
make 6 rounds of pastry. Place a portion of filling to one side of each,
leaving the edge uncovered. Moisten the edges with water, then fold over
and pinch or crimp the edges to seal. Prick tops with a fork or skewer.
Brush with beaten egg and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a
preheated 400#176#F/200#176#C/Gas 6 oven for about 25 mins or until they
are golden brown. *Ketchup can be used instead *Any other type of ham can
be used whatever comes to hand. Tip: Empanadas can be frozen before
baking; bake frozen pastries for about 35 mins. Make empanadillas with a 2
1/2" cutter; makes about 40. REG shared by Maria Malo, London, England. All
measures are US standard

NOTES : We made these empanadas as small canapes for our wedding buffet
they go like wildfire !!!
Recipe by: The Complete Spanish Cookbook by Jacki Passmore Posted to
MCRecipe Digest V1 #580 by kmeade@ids2.idsonline.com (The Meades) on Apr
19, 1997