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Empanada Gallega (Spicy Galician Chicken Empanada)

Empanada Gallega (Spicy Galician Chicken Empanada) is a traditional Spanish recipe for classic pie of a yeasted dough filled with a spicy chicken and pepper blend that is finished by oven baking. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Spanish version of: Spicy Galician Chicken Empanada (Empanada Gallega).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

50 minutes

Total Time:

70 minutes

Serves:

8

Rating: 4.5 star rating

Tags : Chilli RecipesChicken RecipesFowl RecipesVegetable RecipesMilk RecipesBaking RecipesSpain Recipes



This is a classic pie from Galicia in north-western Spain (elsewhere in Spain these pies are called 'pasteles' or 'pasteis').

Ingredients


For the Filling:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g chicken breast, skinned and cut into 3cm cubes
4 tbsp dry white wine
3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
125g chorizo sausage, cut into thick slices
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp hot paprika (pimenton picante)
4 roasted red piquillo peppers (from a jar), coarsely chopped
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed
coarse sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

For the Pastry:
450g plain flour
75g fine cornmeal
1 sachet, active, dried, yeast
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp butter or lard
200ml milk
2 eggs
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (to glaze)

Method:

Begin with the filling. Heat the oil in a flame-proof casserole. Add the onion and garlic and fry over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened but not coloured. Increase the heat and stir in the chicken, stir-frying until opaque.

Now add the wine, the tomatoes (and their juices) and cook until the tomatoes break down and the sauce begins to thicken and the chicken is almost cooked (about 12 minutes).

Stir in the chorizo pieces along with the oregano and paprika and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a bowl and allow the mixture to cool completely.

For the pastry, mix the flour, cornmeal, yeast and salt in a bowl. Combine the butter and milk in a saucepan and heat until the butter hans melted. When the milk has cooled to lukewarm, beat the eggs in a bowl and add to the milk mixture.

Form a hollow in the flour mix and pour the milk mixture into this. Mix the ingredients with your hands and bring the dough together as a ball. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly-oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and set aside in a warm place for about 60 minutes, or until doubled in volume.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Place one half back in the bowl and cover with clingfilm. Roll the other half out on a floured work surface until large enough to cover the base and sides of your baking dish, with a 2cm overhang all the way around (a baking dish about 32 x 22 cm in size that is well greased, is ideal).

Stir the peppers and parsley into the cooled filling then spoon this mixture evenly over the dough. Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthways and nestle them in the filling.

Roll out the remaining dough to fit the tin and carefully drape over the to. Brush egg wash around the edges of the overhanging pastry. Bring the pastry overhang up over the top pastry and crimp gently to seal.

Brush all over the top with the remaining egg wash, form a few slits in the top with a knife to allow steam to escape, then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked all over and the filling is hot (if the pie seems to be browning too quickly, cover with foil).

This pie can be served hot or cold and should be cut into squares.