Fried Shrimp Empanadas Recipe

Fried Shrimp Empanadas Recipe

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 stick butter, cut in small cubes
• 3 tbsp. shortening cut in cubes
• ½ tbsp. sea salt
• ¾ cup cold water and more as needed
• 3 cups corn oil mixed with 1 cup olive oil

• 1 pound fresh small shrimp, shelled, deveined and heads and tails off
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 medium onions finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup Red Bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup Rosé or dry white wine
• ½ tbsp. sweet paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. dill
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 2 tsp. corn starch or flour to thicken the sauce

• 5 limes, cut into wedges

1. For the dough: put the flour in a bowl, add butter, shortening and salt. Mix with a fork until it looks like bread crumbs.
2. Gather together and make a hole in the middle; start adding cold water, mixing with a wooden spoon, adding more water as needed. Knead with your hands until you get a dough that separates from the walls of the bowl.
3. Transfer to a lightly floured wood or marble working surface and knead gently until you get a soft dough. Should take about 5 minutes. The dough is hard at the beginning but after kneading gets soft. Leave covered in the fridge.
4. Start on the filling.
5. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and cook the shrimp until they turn pink, then reserve on a plate.
6. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil to the pan and cook the onion, garlic and red pepper on low until they onions transparent and soft. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the shrimp, sweet paprika, salt and pepper, mix and transfer to a plate or large bowl to cool. Once the mix is cool, add in the parsley and lemon zest.
7. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 20 even pieces. Shape into small balls. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball into an 4½-in round, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Repeat until you have 20 even discs.
8. Brush the edge of the dough disc with water, place a very generous heaping spoonful of filling on the center, then fold the dough and press the edges together. Seal with the tines of a fork or do a traditional “repulgue" .
9. Heat the corn and olive oil in a shallow pan and place each empanada and fry. Remove with slotted metal spoon and place on a large plate lined with paper towels. Blot out excess oil and serve.