Empadinhas (Brazilian Shrimp Pies)
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 23
- Serves:
-
10
ingredients
-
For the crust
- 4 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup shortening (Crisco)
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1⁄2 cups cold water
-
For the filling
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1⁄4 cup cooked peas
- 8 pitted green olives, , chopped
- cayenne pepper
-
Glaze
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 pinch salt
-
For the filling
- 1 lb chicken (breast or thighs)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1⁄2 small onion
- 1 bay leaf
directions
- Make the dough.
- Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
- Place the butter, shortening, eggs, salt, and 1 cup water in the well.
- Using one hand to mix, squeeze these ingredients through your fingers to make a paste.
- Gradually work in the flour, squeezing the dough between your fingers to mix it.
- Add water as necessary: the dough should be quite soft.
- Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the filling.
- Peel and devein the shrimp (my favorite yucky part...).
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
- Sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until soft but not brown.
- Add the shrimp, bay leaf, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, plus water to cover.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked.
- Strain the shrimp, reserving the broth.
- Finely chop the shrimp by hand or in the food processor.
- Stir in the flour, peas, and olives.
- Stir in 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved broth: the filling should be moist but not runny.
- Add enough cayenne to give the shrimp mixture a little bite.
- Pinch off cherry-sized pieces of dough and use them to line the tartlet molds.
- Push the dough in with your thumb.
- The dough should just reach over the top of the mold.
- Place a spoonful of filling in each crust.
- Roll out the remaining dough and cut out tops for the empadinhas.
- Try to capture an air bubble when you place the top over the filling: this is what makes the pie light.
- Seal the tartlets by pinching together the top and bottom crust.
- Note: the empadinhas can be prepared ahead to this stage and frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Brush the tops of the empadinhas with egg glaze.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Unmold and serve.
- If you're lazy like me, try this big pie version, called empadão: make the filling and use Pillsbury pie crusts, one for the bottom and one for the top.
- Fantastic dinner stuff!
- To make chicken empadinhas-------------.
- Cook the chicken and prepare the broth.
- Place the chicken in a small saucepan with the garlic, onion, bay leaf and water to cover.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and gently simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
- Drain the chicken, reserving the broth.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and finely shred the meat.
- Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
- Sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until soft but not brown.
- Add the chicken, bay leaf, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, plus water to cover.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Procede as in step 3 above, stirring in the flour, peas, and olives.
- And so on.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
LikeItLoveIt
United States