Saffron Turkey Empanadillas

July 10^th my wife, Sharon, and I are hosting the second annual Paella party in our building. Last year we had about 26 people and the event lasted for 12 hours. This year we expect about 40 people. Not sure how long it will go...

In preparation, this weekend we were busy making one of our appetizers: Saffron Turkey Empanadillas, a little tradition of ours. They freeze well, so we make them well in advance to help reduce the amount of work we have on D-day.Empanadillas are just little empanadas. If you are not familiar with empanadas, think of a savory crust on the top and bottom and a savory filling inside. Empanadillas, are just a two bite pastry with a savory filling. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp saffron, crushed between your thumb and palm
1/8 cup dried sherry
1 16-oz can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped (see note below)
Salt and pepper
1 egg beaten

For the dough:

2 oz butter
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of water
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
6 cups all purpose flour

Preparation:

Heat 3 tbs oil in a pan and cook onions until soft and lightly brown.

While the onions cook, in a heat remaining 3 tbs olive oil in a pot. When hot, add garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add turkey and cook while breaking it up until it has lost all its pink color and all the water that comes with the turkey has evaporated. Add saffron, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Continue cooking for a few minutes as the turkey starts getting some color, but not letting it dry too much.

Add sherry and continue cooking until it has evaporated. Add the caramelized onions, with any oil that is left in the pan and after stirring all together, add the can of tomatoes. Be patient, this is going to cook for a while.

Cook mix covered for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. This part is important to get a soft smooth taste eliminating any remaining acidity from the tomatoes and blending all the flavors. After 30 minutes, uncover and continue cooking. In the next 30 to 40 minutes, a lot of the sauce will evaporate concentrating the flavors and making it a denser mix. Since this will be put inside a pastry you do not want too much sauce. Continue cooking until there isn’t much sauce left. Check for salt and pepper as you are getting close.

While the turkey is cooking, start the empanadilla dough. In a saucepan, combine olive oil, butter, water and salt. Cook until butter melts. Add flour, mix well and let cool a bit. Add eggs, mix some more and then knee to mix well all ingredients. You may need to add some more flour.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough in batches until it is thin but not so that it breaks. Use a small round cookie cutter to cut circles and fill in with just enough to make a nice plump pastry. You will need a little but of water to seal the empanadillas.

When ready to eat, brush the bottom of a cookie sheet with a little olive oil. Place the frozen empanadillas on top and paint with so me egg. Cook in a 350 degree oven until lightly golden. Serve hot.I’d recommend freezing them so they are easier to handle. Put them in a cookie sheet loose enough that they don’t touch no more than two layer deep and freeze until solid. At that point you can bag them in portion quantities.

About San Marzano tomatoes: San Marzano is a variety of Roma tomatoes that can be found canned in just about every grocery store. They are by far the best tomatoes you can use to make a tomato sauce. They are sweet, fruity and do not have the acidity of other tomatoes.

The seeds are unnoticeable. I would strongly advice against using any other canned tomatoes for this (or any other) recipe. Other tomatoes end up being watery and tasteless. Few things will have such great impact in your kitchen. For more info on San Marzano tomatoes click here.