Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam, was first introduced to hunting in college and started a cooking website, Food for Hunters. She has written for numerous hunting and outdoor magazines, and co-authored the book "Hunting for Food: Guide to Harvesting, Field Dressing and Cooking Wild Game."
These days, there are as many versions of the empanada around the world as there are grandmothers. This version is associated with Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina. This recipe makes 15-18 to empanadas.
This publication was funded by the Multistate Conservation Grant Program, a program supported with funds from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program and jointly managed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. of ground dove breasts
- 1/2 lb. fatty ground pork
- 2 packages of empanada dough (20 discs, thawed overnight before preparing meal)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tbs. sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 5 green olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- black pepper, freshly cracked
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Directions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground dove and pork to the skillet, allow the bottom to form a crust before stirring and continue to cook. Transfer meat to plate or bowl with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Lower heat to medium.
- In the same pan, add an additional tablespoon of oil, onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened, but do not brown. Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano and garlic for 30 seconds.
- Next, return ground meat to the skillet and season with about 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Add chicken stock and simmer until mixture is no longer watery, but still moist, stirring occasionally. Take off heat.
- Stir in coarsely chopped olives (about 1/4 cup) and raisins. Allow mixture to cool before filling empanadas. Mixture could be made a couple days in advance.
- Add the remaining butter to the hot pan and baste the fish. Increase amount of butter as desired.
- Brush the edge with water and fold over to form half circles. Crimp with a fork.
- Heat frying oil to 325°F-350°F. Fry empanadas in batches until golden on both sides and drain. Keep warm in an oven and serve hot.
