Chilean Abalone Empanadas de locos

Versión en español

One of the fondest memories of my childhood is eating freshly caught fish and seafood all Summer. We used to spend the Summer with my grandparents in Lipimávida, a coastal little town of barely 100 houses at that time, on the shore of the 7th region in Chile.

In Chile, the combo country/beach is widespread, and it’s lovely to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables and combine them with the best seafood and fish, sometimes caught or harvested by ourselves.

I can vividly remember fishing with my family on the rocky shores or when my cousin’s friends would pick him up to go and harvest razor clams because they had appeared close to the shore. On the weekends, we would drive to slightly larger towns, Duao or Iloca, to buy cleaning supplies and beef. Many eateries offer fried empanadas, mariscales (seafood dishes with raw clams, seaweed, and onions), fish stews, churros, and cuchuflís (dulce de leche filled wafers).

Abalones, limpets, sea urchins, ultes (a kind of seaweed), and piures (a kind of seafood) were a fundamental part of my childhood. My grandfather and uncles would put the abalones inside the inner tube of a car tire and bang them against the wooden fence… It was necessary to soften them… then remove the meat and cook them to be used in Carbonada, chupe, or delicious empanadas—total perfection.

The filling of abalone empanadas is simple, with barely browned onion, oregano, and a touch of paprika. I used the Chipotle TABASCO sauce because it has a smokey touch that goes well with the abalone. It will surprise you a little like merkén.

In the USA, canned abalone can be bought from Amazon. They are pricey but well worth the price for Chileans living abroad. They have a similar taste to chicken but with a firmer texture. They can be substituted with cooked shrimp or seafood such as clams or chicken.

Chilean Abalone Empanadas de locos

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A delicious recipe and very special.

• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 24 (small)

Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cans of abalones or 800 grams of cooked abalones (or cooked chicken)
• 1–2 teaspoons Chipotle TABASCO sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup cold water
• oil, salt, and pepper
• 24 pre-made empanada discs (see the recipe for empanada dough)
• 1 egg, beaten

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Instructions

1. In a medium skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes.
   
2. Lower heat to medium. Add chopped abalones, oregano, and Tabasco sauce, stir, and add salt and pepper. Taste.
   
3. Add flour dissolved in cold water or cooking water from the abalones. Stir well and cook for 1 minute. Let cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
5. Assemble the empanadas, placing one spoonful of abalone mix into each dough disk. Close and fold edges, as shown in the picture.
   
6. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with oregano.
   
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden and the dough is cooked.
8. Serve hot.
   

Notes

Pre-made empanada dough can be found in the frozen Latin food section. You can also use phyllo or puff pastry.

• Author: Pilar Hernandez
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Chilean

Recipe Chilean Abalone Empanadas sponsored by TABASCO. All opinions are mine.