SEAFOOD EMPANADITAS

By polloazul

Ingredients

• FOR PASTRY AND FRYING:
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup lard at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 About 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
• FOR SEAFOOD FILLING:
• 1 1/2 lb small hard-shelled clams (about 2 inches across), scrubbed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 lb cultivated mussels
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped scallion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika (not hot)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 lb sea scallops, tough ligament from side of each discarded and scallops finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• EQUIPMENT: a 4-inch round cookie cutter; a deep-fat thermometer
• ACCOMPANIMENT: tomato salsa

Details

Adapted from gourmet.com

Preparation

Step 1

MAKE DOUGH:
Stir salt into hot water until dissolved.
Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
Sift flour, baking powder, and sugar into a large bowl, then make a well in center and add lard and butter. Stir salted water into well with a wooden spoon, melting lard and butter, then stir flour into liquid, adding a little water if necessary, to form a soft and pliable dough. Knead dough on an unfloured surface until smooth and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes (dough will be soft and slightly sticky).
Cover dough with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth).

MAKE FILLING:
Cook clams in wine in a medium saucepan, covered, over medium-high heat until just opened wide, about 5 minutes (discard any that remain unopened). Transfer clams to a bowl with a slotted spoon, then cook mussels in same liquid, covered, stirring once or twice, until opened, 3 to 5 minutes (discard unopened ones). Add mussels to clams and strain cooking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a bowl.
Coarsely chop clams and mussels (leave small ones whole).
Cook onion, scallion, and garlic in butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, chile, paprika, and oregano and cook, stirring occassionally, 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup shellfish-cooking liquid and bring to a boil, whisking, then simmer, whisking, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and parsley. Cook completley. (Filling will not be fully cooked.)

MAKE EMPANADITAS
Divide dough in half, then roll out 1 piece of dough into a 17-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 12 rounds with cutter and transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Gather scraps and reroll, then cut out more rounds. Repeat with remaining dough on another baking sheet.
Put a heaping tablespoon filling (it will be wet) in center of 1 round, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush edges lightly with water and pull dough over filling to enclose, then seal edge. Crimp with a fork dipped in flour. Repeat with remaining rounds.
Put a metal rack on a baking sheet in over, then preheat over to 200ºF.
Heat 1 1/2 inches oil to 360ºF in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-heat, then fry empanaditas, 4 at a time, turning with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then keep warm in over. Return oil to 360ºF between batches.

COOKS’ NOTES: Empanaditas can be formed (but not fried) up to 1 month ahead and frozen in an airtight container.
Leftover filling can be stirred into hot pasta or soup.