Best Beef And Goat Cheese Empanada With Piquillo Pepper Sauce And Pickled Red Onion Recipes

EGG AND HAM EMPANADAS WITH PIQUILLO PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• For the piquillo pepper sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the piquillo peppers, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender, and with the blender running, add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the vinegar and blend until smooth and silky. Add the creme fraiche and a touch of honey and pulse a few times just to incorporate; taste, pulse in a bit more honey if necessary. Transfer to a bowl.
• For the empanadas: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes; remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and melt. Add the 8 whisked eggs and cook, stirring until soft curds barely form, then transfer to a bowl and quickly and gently stir in the green onion, goat cheese, ham and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet.
• Roll each empanada wrapper on a lightly floured surface into a 7-inch round. Divide the filling among the wrappers, mounding it in the centers. Brush the edges with some of the egg wash. Fold each wrapper over the filling to create half-moon shapes and seal by pressing the edges together firmly with a fork.
• Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Cut a few small slits in the top of each empanada to create steam vents. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve with the piquillo pepper sauce.

PEAR AND CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Dough: Mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl and make a well in the center. Place the butter, egg and yolk in the well. Rub the mixture between your fingertips until it forms a crumbly mass. Sprinkle with the water and knead in the bowl until it comes together into a dough. (If the dough seems too moist, sprinkle with additional flour, and knead it in briefly.) Divide the dough into 2 thick disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.;
• Filling: In a medium skillet, heat the walnut and olive oils over high heat. Add the pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and beginning to give off their juices, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool completely. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Assembly:
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for glazing
• If the dough is too hard to roll easily, let it stand at room temperature to warm slightly. On a lightly floured surface, working with 1 portion of dough at a time, roll into a 1/16-inch thick circle. Using a small saucer as a guide, cut out six 4 1/2-inch rounds. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place equal amounts of the filling on the lower halves of the rounds. Fold over to enclose the filling, then crimp closed with the tines of a fork. Place on a parchment paper-lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the empanadas lightly with the egg mixture. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

BUTTERFLIED SQUAB WITH PIQUILLO PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the squab with salt and black pepper and place in the pan, breast-side down. Add the butter and cook the squab until the skin is golden brown. Flip the squab, and continue to cook until medium rare. Transfer to a plate and let rest.
• Drain off any excess oil from the pan, and then heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the carrots, celery and onions until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, and then pour in the port and red wine and cook until reduced by three-quarters, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half, then stir in the creme fraiche. Strain the sauce into a bowl, and then heat gently in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once bubbling, remove from the heat and add the parsley, thyme and piquillo peppers. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the filling: Add the oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sofrito, and peppers, stirring occasionally until soft. Add the tomato paste, adobo, and cilantro, stirring occasionally until combined. Add the ground beef, season, and stir until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, strain, and allow the mixture to cool.
• For the empanada dough: Sift the flour, sugar, and salt onto parchment paper. Place the sifted dry ingredients into a food processor. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the dough looks like a ball. Remove the ball from the food processor and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Transfer the pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll out until it is 1/16-inch thick. Cut into segments with a 4-inch dough cutter. Each cut will create a dough round. Put 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the upper half of each round, and then fold the bottom pastry up into a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges closed with your finger to fold the upper and bottom halves together. Repeat this step until all the edges are closed.
• For the guava sauce: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is silky and smooth. Pour the sauce in a separate dish or bowl for dipping.
• Put about 2 inches of oil into a heavy, deep skillet over medium heat and heat to 350 degrees F. Add the empanadas, a few at a time, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

PIQUILLO PEPPERS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Whisk shallots, scallion and vinegar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Slice open the top of each pepper to create a pocket. Spoon cheese into peppers, dividing it equally among them. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat; coat with cooking spray. Cook peppers, flipping once, until cheese begins to melt, about 30 seconds each side. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with parsley and thyme. Drizzle dressing over peppers and serve.