Latin Flair – Savory Latin Pastries
Tomorrow, February 27th, is Independence Day in the Dominican Republic. While I was born in the US, my Latino heritage is very much a part of who I am. Nothing gets me going like some merengue or bachata music. And Latino food, both sweet and savory, satisfies me like no other. So to all my US-born Dominican brothers and sisters reading this – I ask you to never forget the homeland. Dust off your flag and wave it a few times tomorrow in honor of Quisqueya La Bella and while you do so, bust a few moves and eat some of these pastries.
What in the world is a Savory Latin Pastry? Well, an empanada of course!
For some, empanadas are all about the filling. For others, a perfectly fried yet not oily crust is what takes them over the top. This chica is caught in the middle. Although they can be baked, there is something irresistible about a lighted browned, crispy fritter with lovely little dimples. If done right, after the first bite comes a plethora of steam, aromas and tastes that please all the senses!
In the Dominican Republic, what is commonly known in the rest of the world as an empanada is referred to as a “pastelito”. I had to make mention of that because I know my sisters are reading this thinking I’m getting it all wrong. We do have something we call an empanada, but they are made out of yuca dough (and will come in a later post). For now, I will continue to refer to them as empanadas.
Empanadas have been a part of my life for as long as I have memory. However, until about eight years ago, I never made one at home. They made appearances at all of my family gatherings but they always came from somewhere else. Somewhere else usually meant the “empanada lady” that made a great living selling them all over the neighborhood. Over the years, there were several empanada ladies. My most memorable one was a woman named Argentina. She filled her shopping cart with tons of empanadas and went around what seemed like all Washington Heights selling them. She was a bit of a celeb in the neighborhood. I saw her mostly on Saturdays when she stopped by my hair salon. Getting my hair yanked in all directions didn’t seem so bad if I was eating one of Argentina’s chicken empanadas.
Thanks to my baby sister, I discovered a product (which I’m convinced Argentina bought tons of wholesale) that took the mystery out of empanada making. What I am about to make is a HUGE reveal because for years now, many have asked and I have kept it locked up in my bag of tricks. So here they are – Goya Discos – my secret for the perfect empanada.
Inexpensive and readily available in the Latin frozen food section of most supermarkets, Goya Discos take all the trouble out of empanada making and will give you a perfectly crispy, dimpled empanada crust every time. Making pastry dough at home comes with its challenges, particularly figuring out how to mix its ingredients while not breaking down the butter too much, keeping the butter cold…and yada yada yada. With Goya Discos, all you have to worry about is making a tasty filling, stuffing it into the pockets, frying and you’re done.
The process of making empanadas is simple with these discos in your life. Available in two sizes (4in and 6in), each pack has 10 discos separated by wax paper. Since I make these in large batches, I usually cut a disco in half. Simply add a dollup of your filling to the center of your dough, fold over and crimp closed with a fork. It is imporant to keep the discos cold so that they don’t dry out. For frying, I use canola or vegetable oil and they come out perfect every time.
As for the secret to my chicken filling….I’m not quite ready to reveal that just yet. But I do encourage you to play around with some of your own recipes, as I’m sure most of them, meat or vegetarian, can be made into fillings. Here I used chicken breast which I lightly pulsed in my food processor with some special seasonings.
What I will say is that the secret to any good filling is to make sure that it is moist to make sure that the additional cooking time to fry or bake the crust doesn’t dry out the goodness inside.
So run out and get yourself a pack or two of Goya discos and you too can become an expert empanada maker.
Share
ArchaeologyAnna — February 27, 2010 @ 2:36 am
I have never made empanadas before, but I really wish you would change your mind and list what you filled it with. I would really like to try to make them. Best Wishes!
5 Star Foodie — February 27, 2010 @ 3:19 am
What a great tip for the Goya discos! I love empanadas but never have time to make them from scratch. This is a fabulous shortcut! Thanks! And happy Independence Day!
dave -nibbleanibble — February 27, 2010 @ 8:52 am
Looks great but I'm wondering if there's a better way to get more uniform folds.
dawn — February 27, 2010 @ 4:32 pm
girl I'm running out now! seriously I love savory empanadas. you did these perfectly.
Katrina — February 27, 2010 @ 4:47 pm
My husband loves empanadas. He lived in Chile for 2 years. (He's pretty concerned about this earthquake there.) The dough is probably why I never make them, so I'll have to try those Goyos discs.
aramos09 — February 27, 2010 @ 8:10 pm
I thought you gave out our secret recipe, I was gonna kill you..lol
Jamie — February 28, 2010 @ 12:23 am
I have never had a savory empanada, but these look and sound fab!
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction — February 28, 2010 @ 2:56 am
Ooh… these look great! So de-lish!
Flourchild — February 28, 2010 @ 2:43 pm
Yippeee for Independence Day in the Dominican Republic! I love that you celebrate and embrace your heritage..so nice! Your empanadas look amazing and I love all the stories you shared in this post, thank you!
cookies and cups — February 28, 2010 @ 4:28 pm
I'm definitely going to look for those discs! Your first picture is so great, they look perfectly crispy and yummm!
Tracy @ Sugarcrafter — March 1, 2010 @ 2:14 pm
Wow! I am definitely going to have to try those Goya discos – these look wonderful!
Rocio — March 1, 2010 @ 2:31 pm
I am also a Dominican-York and this was the first recipe I learned to make
you should try the filling with some shredded mozzarella and a bit of ragu sauce, lol, yummy!
Ingrid — March 1, 2010 @ 3:51 pm
First, no WAY can you be afraid to make marshmallows. Come on..you CAN DO IT!
Second, I grew up on these and my children are being raised on them, too. Love, love,love 'em! Btw, you can almost always find those Goya Discos in my freezer. As you mentioned they turn out perfect pastries each time and can be filled with whatever floats your boat that day.~ingrid
Shandy — March 1, 2010 @ 4:46 pm
YUM! What a delicious, traditional dish for your culture, Eliana and thank you for dishing about the Goya Discos.
spike. — March 1, 2010 @ 4:47 pm
I love empanadas! Those look perfectly crimped, not sure I would be so successful
Barbara GF — March 1, 2010 @ 8:55 pm
I will have to look for these "discos," Eliana. What a perfect way to make empanadas.
Teanna — March 1, 2010 @ 10:50 pm
I need to find those discos! I have tried to make empanadas but I can't get that flaky crust right! These look like they would help!
Tracey — March 1, 2010 @ 11:00 pm
Thanks for the tip! I like empanadas but have never made them and this product looks like it'd make my life a lot easier when I do try!
Shari — March 2, 2010 @ 5:22 pm
I love empanadas and these look incredible. Someday . . .
Snooky doodle — March 2, 2010 @ 9:44 pm
ow these look so tempting!
How To Eat A Cupcake — March 3, 2010 @ 12:07 am
Mmm these look so yummy! I've always wanted to make some!
Apples and Butter — March 3, 2010 @ 12:55 am
Such a tease! I hope we get thst chicken secret one day! The one time I tried making empanadas at home, I made half of them with Discos and the other half with homemade dough. Not only was it much easier to use Discos, but they turned out the better empanadas. I will never make empanadas with anything but Discos!
Emily — March 3, 2010 @ 8:58 am
Wow! I've never seen the empanada discs before. I'm going to look for them next time I'm at the store. Now if only I could make them as good as you can!
Gala — March 4, 2010 @ 10:45 am
Never made them but they sound delicious!
Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul — March 4, 2010 @ 7:09 pm
Very cute blog! I've joined SMS…look forward to seeing your creations!
Andrea — March 4, 2010 @ 9:13 pm
I love this Latin series you're doing! Latin baking is not something I'm very familiar with, so thanks for introducing the topic! Your empanada crust looks crazy good (what can I say, I'm a crust girl)
The Scootabaker — March 5, 2010 @ 5:07 am
fried stuff, awwww….. I'm melting…. insert fried empanada in mouth hole…awwww. My best girlfriend is a Bronx-born Dominican chica and this is like the only thing she can make! haha
The Food Librarian — March 5, 2010 @ 6:33 am
These look fantastic. I love empanadas and yours look perfect!
Islandia Lane — April 1, 2010 @ 8:34 pm
oooh I totally want to make these! Hope you are well!!
virginie — April 3, 2010 @ 11:34 am
I'm not sure to find this empanadas pastry in France but this look so delish !!!virginie
Cynthia — May 11, 2010 @ 2:02 am
Hola chica. I finally made the empandas over the weekend and they were a hit!! Thanks for making cooking/baking look so easy and fun. xoxo
Sandra G. — November 19, 2010 @ 6:54 pm
I make them stuffed with guava paste and cream cheese, they’re awesome!
Cindy F — November 1, 2011 @ 10:50 pm
Love the blog, first timer here as I was looking for empanada filling ideas. I make empanadas daily, I have a recipe for an easy and wonderful dough that when fried are very flaky and crisp on the outside and steamy goodness on the inside. If you would like it, you can email me at cindyscostarica@yahoo.com.
Someone wanted info on filling. Well today I make sausage and egg with cheese for breakfast, BBQ pork with potatoes and onions for dinner and chocolate marshmallow for dessert. All were yummy, if using marshmallows I suggest freezing the mallows before frying in the dough or they will ooze all into your oil.
Tip, always chill your filling before stuffing and use your imaginations. I have made shrimp, beef, chicken, pork, ham and cheese, mushroom and cheese, chocolate, lemon marmalade, etc… The sky’s the limit!