Chicken empanadas with green olives

Viva 29/1/2009

Amanda Laird

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Serves 20

3 cups	Plain flour
120 g	Butter, cold, diced
½	Lemon, juiced
1	Egg
2 tbsp	Water
1	Egg, whisked with 1 tsp milk, for egg wash

1	Onion
1 tbsp	Olive oil
2 tsp	Brown sugar
2 tsp	Sherry vinegar
1 tbsp	Pine nuts, chopped
400 g	Chicken breasts, or thigh, finely diced
1 tbsp	Tomato paste
2 tbsp	Dry sherry
2 cloves	Garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup	Raisins, chopped
½ cup	Green olives pitted, chopped
½ cup	Chicken stock
1 to taste	Salt & freshly ground pepper

To make the pastry put the flour and butter in a food processor. Pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs then stop. Whisk the lemon and egg together then add. Continue to pulse while drizzling in the water.
As soon as the pastry comes together, stop the motor then wrap the pastry and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Slice the onion while heating the frypan. Add the olive oil, onion, brown sugar and vinegar.
Add the pinenuts and cook slowly, stirring occasionally for approximately 30 minutes or until soft and golden. Remove from the pan and cool.
Put the chicken in the pan with the tomato paste, sherry, garlic, raisins and olives. Add the stock and let simmer for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust, then let cool.
Remove the pastry from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 200 degC and either grease trays or line with baking paper.
Flour a work surface then roll out the pastry until 3mm thick.
Using a 10cm cutter or a saucer, cut rounds from the pastry. Place spoonfuls of the mixture on one side of each circle.
Moisten the edge with a little water, fold over and seal with fingertips or a fork. Transfer to the baking trays then brush with the eggwash.
Snip the top of each empanada to allow the steam to escape then bake for 20 minutes or until golden.