Prepare your own empanadas with Aysénstyle

ZONA AYSÉN - SIMPSON

What better way to learn about Patagonia and its culture than tasting and preparing part of its traditional

gastronomy. Here we teach you everything you need to know to impress even the most experienced empanada

chefs with this recipe for your choice of beef, ham and cheese, or apple cinnamon fillings.

D ATA S H E E T

Activity Type: Gastronomy. Recipe for making your own empanadas in Aysén style.

Start: You can find the needed ingredients in almost any market in Aysén, both in the cities and rural areas.

End: Watching the happy expressions on the faces of your friends, family and of course, yourself. This recipe is sure

to please!

Duration: Approximately 3 - 4 hours, plus time for the pino to chill.

Seasonality: Year round.

Empanadas are fun and easy to make. They are a typical dish eaten throughout Chile, especially during the annual

Independence Day Celebrations, but in the farms and cities of Aysén they are also part of daily lives. Empanadas are

prepared frequently in almost all of Aysén, and with lots of di erent llings and versions. The most traditional versions

are lled with a “pino”, made with beef, onions, raisins, and hard boiled eggs. Other versions include cheese, seafood and

interesting mixes of ingredients like chicken and mushroom. They can be baked or fried, according to your preference.

There are also dessert versions that borrow elements of German settlers’ gastronomy and include ingredients like apples,

pears and nuts. In this short cooking course we’ll teach you how to prepare three types of llings: pino, ham and cheese,

and apple cinnamon. So grab your chef apron and let’s get cooking! Buen provecho.

Special Considerations: Feel free to invent your own llings for your empanada with the ingredients and

combinations of your choice!

Reservations: No reservations needed. In Coyhaique, you can nd fresh regional meats at the following markets

(amongst others): Carnicería Ganaderos, Avenida Ogana #1035; Carnes Fuenzalida, Avenida Francisco Bilbao #1546;

Supermercado El Arriero, Avenida Ogana #825, in front of Sodimac.

P H O T O G R A P H S

Photographs that complement this story

R E C I P E S

The flavors and culinary knowledge can be a memorable aspect of his travels in Aysén. Every corner has its own

recipes and dishes . Discover your favorite recipes here.

Empanadas filled with pino (traditional beef filling)

15 medium or 25 appetizer size empanadas

Ingredientes

For the dough:

2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup of chilled butter, cut into small cubes

1 egg

4 to 5 tablespoons of water

For the pino (traditional beef filling):

1/2 kilo lean ground beef

2 chopped onions

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

2 teaspoons Pimenton Rojo (Sweet paprika)

1 teaspoon Aji Chileno

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 Tablespoon of White Vinegar

Salt to taste

1/2 cup of raisins, re-hydrated in water

1/2 cup of pitted sliced black olives

3 Hard-boiled eggs; peeled and chopped

Preparación

Prepare the Crust: Mix the flour and salt thoroughly and then add the egg, the cold butter, cut into small pieces,

and the water. Mix until a clumpy dough forms. You may need to add a few more tablespoons of water,

depending on the consistency of the dough. Knead the dough well, (5 ñ 8 minutes), on a floured surface. Once

the dough is well kneaded, form it into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Prepare the

Filling: Sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until they are transparent. Add the ground beef, 2 teaspoons

pimenton rojo (sweet paprika), aji chileno, ground cumin, and white vinegar. Cook for approximately 20 minutes

until the beef is browned and the flavors have had time to blend together. Salt to taste. Remove from heat and

allow to cool. (Patagonians swear that you should make this filling at least one day in advance and store it in the

refrigerator to allow the flavors to properly blend). Prepare the other ingredients (raisins, olives and hard-boiled

eggs) and set aside until assembly time.Assemble the Empanadas: Roll out the dough into a thin sheet, about 2

mm in thickness, and cut out round disc shapes (You can use a small bread plate as a pattern and cut around the

outer rim). Wet the edge of a dough circle slightly with water, all around the perimeter. Place one heaping

tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dough and disperse 1/2 teaspoon of the olives, 3-4 raisins, and 1/2

teaspoon of the chopped hard-boiled eggs over the top. Fold the circle in half, enclosing the filling, and pinch the

edges together firmly to seal, flattening and extending them slightly as you pinch them. Fold and crimp the

flattened edge over itself decoratively. Repeat with remaining empanadas.Cook the Empanadas: There are two

options for cooking. First, you can bake your empanadas on a baking sheet in a preheated 180?C oven, for 20-30

minutes, until browned. If you choose to bake, use a fork to poke a few holes in the top of each empanada, for

steam to escape, and brush with whipped egg yolk before baking. Alternatively, you can deep-fry your

empanadas in hot vegetable oil for 5 - 7 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit before eating!

Homemade empanadas filled with ham & cheese

15 medium or 25 appetizer size empanadas

Ingredientes

For the dough:

2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup of chilled butter, cut into small cubes

1 egg

4 to 5 tablespoons of water

Ham and cheese filling:

1/2 Kilo of semi hard cheese (in Aysén youíll find cheeses like gouda or chanco)

1 or 2 packages of sliced ham (in Aysén, ham is sold in small packages of 10 - 12 slices)

Preparación

Prepare the Crust: Mix the our and salt thoroughly and then add the egg, the cold butter, cut into small pieces,

and the water. Mix until a clumpy dough forms. You may need to add a few more tablespoons of water,

depending on the consistency of the dough. Knead the dough well, (5 ñ 8 minutes), on a oured surface. Once

the dough is well kneaded, form it into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Prepare your

Filling: Cube cheese in squares of approximately 1.5 to 2 oz each. If you are using ham, chop and reserve in a

small bowl.Assemble the Empanadas: Roll out the dough into a thin sheet, about 2 mm in thickness, and cut out

round disc shapes (You can use a small bread plate as a pattern and cut around the outer rim). Wet the edge of

a dough circle slightly with water, all around the perimeter. Place one cube of cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of

chopped ham (optional) in the middle of the dough. Fold the circle in half, enclosing the lling, and pinch the

edges together rmly to seal, attening and extending them slightly as you pinch them. Fold and crimp the

attened edge over itself decoratively. Repeat with remaining empanadas.Cook the Empanadas: There are two

options for cooking. First, you can bake your empanadas on a baking sheet in a preheated 180?C oven, for 20-30

minutes, until browned. If you choose to bake, use a fork to poke a few holes in the top of each empanada, for

steam to escape, and brush with whipped egg yolk before baking. Alternatively, you can deep-fry your

empanadas in hot vegetable oil for 5 - 7 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit before eating!

Homemade apple-cinnamon dessert empanadas

15 medium or 25 hors díoeuvre size empanadas

Ingredientes

For the dough:

2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup of chilled butter, cut into small cubes

1 egg

For the Filling:

4 to 5 tablespoons of water

1/4 cup (55g) of butter

4 to 5 firm green apples, peeled, cored and diced finely (cubes of approximately 1 cm in size)

3/4 cup (170 g) of granulated sugar

1 - 2 teaspoons of cinnamon

2 teaspoons of cornstarch

2 tablespoons of water

Pinch of salt

3 teaspoons of dulce de leche or manjar (optional)

1 egg

Preparación

Prepare the Crust: Mix the flour and salt thoroughly and then add the egg, the cold butter, cut into small pieces,

and the water. Mix until a clumpy dough forms. You may need to add a few more tablespoons of water,

depending on the consistency of the dough. Knead the dough well, (5 ñ 8 minutes), on a floured surface. Once

the dough is well kneaded, form it into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Prepare your Filling: Combine the diced apples, butter, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook the

mixture over medium heat until the apples are beginning to become tender. In a small bowl, mix the water and

corn starch until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the apples and cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to

thicken. Remove from the heat and if desired, stir in 3 tablespoons of dulce de leche or manjar. Chill the filling

mixture for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.Assemble the Empanadas: Roll out the dough into a thin sheet,

about 2 mm in thickness, and cut out round disc shapes (You can use a small bread plate as a pattern and cut

around the outer rim). Wet the edge of a dough circle slightly with water, all around the perimeter. Place one

heaping tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dough. Fold the circle in half, enclosing the filling, and pinch the

edges together firmly to seal, flattening and extending them slightly as you pinch them. Fold and crimp the

flattened edge over itself decoratively. Repeat with remaining empanadas.Cook the Empanadas: There are two

options for cooking. First, you can bake your empanadas on a baking sheet in a preheated 180?C oven, for 20-30

minutes, until browned. If you choose to bake, use a fork to poke a few holes in the top of each empanada, for

steam to escape, and brush with whipped egg yolk before baking. Special note: Fruit empanadas are famous for

leaking in the oven. It helps to chill the formed empanadas overnight before baking. Alternatively, you can deep-

fry your empanadas in hot vegetable oil for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit before eating!

V I D E O S

If a picture 's worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million , is not it? Here you will find some of the best

for this sector.

Nombre Url

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b7GMEm-KJQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaJz1Tpere0

R O U T E S

To go this route , you'll need a good map. Find the details and steps here in georeferenced and downloadable

version Smartphone, Tablet and GPS .

Nombre Url

Prepare your own empanadas with

Aysén style

http://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/spatialArtifacts.do?

event=view&id=7192407