Empadas
empadinha
Small Brazilian savory pies with crumbly pastry and fillings such as chicken, hearts of palm, shrimp, or cheese.
About this dish
Small Brazilian savory pies with crumbly pastry and fillings such as chicken, hearts of palm, shrimp, or cheese. The recipe here chooses one named variation from that wider tradition; household fillings, shapes and serving styles may differ.
Recipe
Brazilian chicken empadinhas
Pastry
- 300 g flour
- 150 g butter
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 tsp salt
Filling
- 300 g cooked shredded chicken
- 1 small onion (80 g), minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp flour
- 120 ml milk
- 50 g peas
- 40 g pitted olives, chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp oil
- 1
Pastry: 300 g flour; 150 g butter; 1 egg; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Mix pastry ingredients gently into a dough without overworking; chill 30 minutes. Mix lightly and keep butter cool; stop once pastry holds rather than kneading elastic. Wrap for chilling.
- 2
Filling: 300 g cooked shredded chicken; 1 small onion (80 g), minced; 1 garlic clove, minced; plus the remaining ingredients listed for this component. Cook onion and garlic in filling fats, add tomato puree and filling flour and cook 1 minute. Stir in milk, simmer until thick, then add chicken, peas, olives, parsley and seasoning. Cool. Soften aromatics over moderate heat, cook flour briefly and whisk milk gradually to avoid lumps. Reduce until thick, then cool promptly.
- 3
Reserve one-third of pastry for lids. Press remaining pastry into 12 metal muffin or empada molds. Fill and cover with thin pastry lids, sealing the edges. Oil or grease metal molds lightly if needed. Keep pastry thickness even, leave filling below rim and seal lids fully.
- 4
Wash: 1 egg yolk; 1 tsp oil. Brush with yolk mixed with oil. Bake at 190°C/375°F 25-30 minutes until golden. Rest 10 minutes before unmolding. Preheat fully, brush wash lightly and bake to golden pastry without raw inner dough. Rest before loosening so pies hold shape.
Note
Empadas are small shortcrust pies, not folded empanadas. Filling must be cool and thick before assembly.