Dove Empanadas

Notes from the Chef: Today, there are as many versions of the empanada as there are grandmothers in any given region. The version I'm offering is associated with Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound of ground dove breasts
  • 1/2 pound fatty ground pork
  • 2 packages of Goya Empanada Dough (20 discs) Make sure you thaw it overnight before preparing meal
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tbs. sweet paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken/game stock
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 5 Spanish Queen green olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped

Play Button Dove Empanadas video

Instructions

Heat Dove & Pork

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground dove and pork to the skillet, allow the bottom to form a crust before stirring and continue to cook. Transfer meat to plate or bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Lower heat to medium.

Sauté Bell Pepper & Onion

In the same pan, add an additional tablespoon of oil, onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened, but do not brown.

Add Cumin & Other Spices

Stir in cumin, paprika, oregano and garlic for 30 seconds.

Add Back Meat & Add stock

Next, return ground meat to the skillet and season with about 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Add chicken stock and simmer until mixture is no longer watery, but still moist, stirring occasionally. Take off heat.

Olives & Cool Mixture

Stir in coarsely chopped olives (about 1/4 cup) and raisins. Allow mixture to cool before filling empanadas. Mixture could be made a couple days in advance.

Fill Empanadas

Add the remaining butter to the hot pan and baste the fish. Increase amount of butter as desired.

Brush, Fold & Crimp

Brush the edge with water and fold over to form half circles. Crimp with a fork.

Fry & Serve

Heat frying oil to 325-350° Fahrenheit. Fry empanadas in batches until golden on both sides and drain. Keep warm in an oven and serve hot.

Chef Bio - Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Jenny, who immigrated to the US from Vietnam, was first introduced to hunting in college and started a cooking website, Food for Hunters. Since then, Jenny has written for numerous hunting and outdoor magazines, and co-authored – with her husband,Rick Wheatley, – the book, Hunting for Food: Guide to Harvesting, Field Dressing and Cooking Wild Game.