RECIPE: EMPANADAS WITH POBLANO QUESO SAUCE
Aarón Sánchez for Terrazas de los Andes
Pair with Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec
Makes 10 Empanadas
Dough
¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
½ cup masa harina (corn tortilla flour)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup warm water
*You can also used store bought empanada disks
Filling
1 ripe yellow plantain, peeled and small diced
½ pound fresh chorizo (not dried)
½ small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chihuahua cheese, shredded
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Poblano Queso Sauce, for serving
Empanadas
1. To make the dough, stir together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the oil and water and mix well. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly to form a smooth, supple dough. (if you need more water, add it a teaspoon at a time to avoid making the dough sticky.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while you make the filling.
2. Heat a little vegetable oil in a sauté pan. When hot, add plantain and cook until brown and soft, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook for approximately 10 minutes, until browned, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Carefully drain any excess oil from the chorizo before continuing to the next step.
4. Return skillet to heat, add onions and cook until soft, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, add cheese, cilantro, diced plantain and mix.
5. Divide the dough into 10 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out into a circle about 4 inches across. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling just off-center on one circle, and fold the dough over to make a half circle. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush each empanada lightly with the egg.
6. Fill a deep saucepan with oil to a depth of 2½ inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking (350°F on deep-fry thermometer). Cook empanadas in batches until crisp and golden brown, approximately 3 minutes on each side, flipping once. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
7. Serve the empanadas warm, drizzling the poblano queso sauce over top. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Poblano Queso Sauce
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons butter
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup chihuahua cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons crema mexicana
1. Turn two of your stove’s burner to medium-high. Place the chiles on each burner and roast them, turning them occasionally with tongs, until they’re charred all over and soft but not mushy, about 7 minutes. Transfer them to a big bowl or soup pot, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let the chiles steam for 10 minutes. Peel them, being careful to keep them intact. Rub off the skins; don’t rinse under water. Remove the stems and some of the seeds and finely chop.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and the peppers and sauté for approximately 1 minute. Slowly add in the heavy cream, then the cheese, whisky constantly until the cheese melts and the mixture thickens.
3. Add the crema, warm through and stir until fully incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.