Description
Discover how to make delicious shrimp empanadas with our easy-to-follow recipe. Perfect for a savory appetizer or main dish. Click to get cooking now!
Ingredients
- – 2 large yellow plantains (400g)
- – Salt
- – 1 cup masa harina (120g)
- – Oil for frying
- – 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
- – 1/2 white onion, minced
- – 1 to 3 serranos or other hot green chile, minced
- – 3 cloves garlic, minced
- – 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and minced
- – 1 pound shrimp, shelled (450g)
- – 1/2 to 1 cup (360 ml) green olives, minced
- – 1/4 cup minced cilantro (15g)
Instructions
- Chop the plantains into pieces that are 3 to 4 inches long, leaving the skin on. Cook them in salted water for roughly 20 minutes, then remove the peel. Crush them thoroughly using a food mill, potato ricer, or by mashing until smooth, ensuring there are no lumps. Blend this with masa harina, adjusting the amount as necessary, starting with half a cup until the dough reaches a non-sticky kneadable consistency. Place the dough in a plastic bag for a minimum of 20 minutes to allow it to absorb moisture.
- Warm vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the minced onions and serrano peppers until they soften. Stir in the minced garlic and tomatoes, cooking for an additional minute or two. Then add the minced olives and shrimp, cooking while stirring frequently until the shrimp are cooked through. Chop the shrimp into small pieces. Mix in the cilantro, season with salt and pepper to your liking, and let this mixture cool completely as the dough rests.
- Shape the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball. Depending on the size of the plantains and the balls you make, you will have between 8 to 12 portions. Keep these balls inside the plastic bag to maintain moisture while you prepare them.
- Heat several cups of oil in a large, shallow pan until it reaches 325°F. Prepare a baking sheet in your oven with a cooling rack on top and set the oven to 200°F.
- Use a tortilla press lined with two pieces of plastic from a bag to flatten the dough into circles about 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top layer of plastic and add a tablespoon or two of the shrimp mixture onto one half of the dough circle. If you don’t own a tortilla press, roll the dough between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap to achieve the same thickness.
- Fold the dough over to cover the filling and press gently to seal. Carefully lift the empanada from the plastic as it is delicate at this stage. Use a fork to crimp the edges and secure the seal. Prepare a couple at a time and start frying them in batches of 2 or 3 while continuing to form more as you cook.
- Fry each empanada for about 2 minutes on each side, watching closely as they brown quickly. Once browned, transfer the cooked empanadas to the rack in the oven to keep warm while you finish the remaining ones.
Notes
- Ensure the cooked plantains are thoroughly mashed to avoid lumps in the dough, resulting in a smooth texture.
- Adjust the amount of masa harina as necessary to achieve a non-sticky, kneadable consistency for the dough.
- Cover the dough in a plastic bag for at least 20 minutes to allow it to absorb moisture and become easier to handle.
