Recipe File: Empanadas de Humita

Empanadas are portable, versatile and just plain delicious.  Akin to a turnover, these stuffed pastries are another one of my favorite foods here in Argentina.  Though empanadas are not unique to Argentina – they can be found throughout Latin America – they are extremely popular here and are closely associated with the national cuisine.  Argentine empanadas tend to be baked rather than fried, and they usually feature savory fillings.  They make excellent finger food, and they frequently appear at parties, asados, etc.  It's easy to get a quick fix too – you can order empanadas for delivery from just about every take-out joint.

There are countless varieties of empanadas, which I find part of their appeal.  They're completely customizable to the ingredients that you have on hand, and it's fun to experiment with different and unexpected flavor combinations.  With that said, there are several tried-and-true empanada fillings, one of which is humita.

Empanadas de humita are typically filled with a mixture of corn and a basic white sauce.  The contrast in texture between the creamy sauce and the slightly crunchy corn is quite nice, making this type one of my favorite. 

Before we get to the recipe, a word about empanada dough.  The tremendous popularity of empanadas in Argentina ensures that every supermarket here carries pre-made tapas (disks of empanada dough).  In the U.S., it is possible to find La Salteña and Goya brand tapas at Latin grocery stores or other supermarkets with a broad selection of ethnic products. 

If you cannot find empanada dough in your area, you can make it from scratch (link provided below).  Another option is to buy ready-made pie crusts and cut smaller circles out of the dough using a large can or small bowl as a template.  Pie dough won't work quite as well as real empanada dough, but it'll do in a pinch.

This recipe is adapted from an Argentine website called Empanadas Criollas.  Please click here if you're interested in the original recipe in Spanish and/or the metric measurements.  Here's the recipe, tweaked, translated and converted to the English system for your cooking convenience:

Empanadas de Humita
Yields approximately 32 empanadas

Ingredients

For the dough:

Use pre-made tapas or follow this recipe to make your own from scratch

For the filling:

7 Tbsp. butter (just under 1 stick) butter
3 c. milk
1 c. all-purpose flour
2-15.25 oz. cans of whole kernel corn
1 large onion, chopped
2 c. grated cheese*
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Ají molido (substitute red pepper flakes) to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

*I used an Argentine cheese called queso cremoso (cut into chunks since it's too soft to grate), but grated mozzarella would work well too.

For assembly:

1 beaten egg yolk
A glass of water

Directions

For the white sauce:

Melt the butter over medium heat.  Slowly add the flour, stirring until the butter is completely incorporated and you achieve a thick paste.  Stir constantly to avoid lumps and to prevent the mixture from burning.  Gradually add the milk while continuing to stir (using a whisk will help to banish any pesky lumps).  Cook the sauce gently for a few minutes until it thickens up a bit, and then remove it from the heat.  Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

To prepare the remaining ingredients for the filling:

Sauté the onions until lightly browned and add them to the white sauce.  Drain the corn and add it to the sauce as well.  Add the cheese and mix the filling until all of the ingredients are well-combined.  Season with ají molido or red pepper flake to taste.  Adjust other seasonings as needed. 

Assembling the empanadas:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Place a tablespoonful of filling in the center of the empanada dough.  Resist the urge to overfill the empanadas, as they will be difficult to work with and will likely explode in the oven if you do so.  Dip your finger in the glass of water and lightly wet the edge of the dough.  Bring the edges of the dough together and press firmly.

There are several methods used to seal the empanadas (the repulgue).  The most simple way involves pressing the tines of a fork around the edge of the empanada, but if you're interested in trying your hand at a fancier repulgue, here's a video that demonstrates an attractive twisted edge like I did on the empanada in the middle [see photo below]. 

Place the empanadas on a lightly greased cookie sheet, and paint them with egg yolk.  Bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes.

Other recipes from my blog:

Chipá
Dulce de Leche