Chorizo and Manchego Empanadas (with Jalapeno Cilantro Lime Sauce)
We’re going to SPAIN for this one for some empanadas stuffed with chorizo and manchego, and dipped in probably the BEST sauce ive ever made.
I followed my favourite food and wine pairing tip: “What grows together, goes together” for this one and paired it with RIOJA. Rioja is most often heavy on the oak and there’s a lot of mass-produced stuff out there, but this one by Bodegas Eguiluz is truly unique. Hand picked, foot-treaded grapes from a small father/son owned winery, and CONCRETE aged. This means none of those classic baking spice vanilla flavours that you would get from oak aged wines, AND fun fact, if you typically get red wine headaches, you might be in the clear with this one!
Get it here: Eguiluz Rioja Tinto Joven – WineCollective
Chorizo and Manchego Empañadas with Jalapeño Cilantro Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup margarine or softened, salted butter
- 1 egg
- 3-4 tbsp cold water
- 80g chorizo sausage (1 medium link), chopped
- 2 cups Manchego cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 cup full fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeño brine
- 4-6 pickled jalapeño slices
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare the dough: Add flour, salt, sugar, margarine, and water to a medium to large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until it's nice and crumbly. Using your hands, press the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Finely chop the chorizo sausage and grate the cheese.
- Roll out the dough, and cut into circles using a small bowl (4-5 inches in diameter). Roll out each circle again to make them as thin as possible.
- Setting about 1/2 cup of cheese aside, add a spoonful of chorizo and manchego to the centre of each dough circle. Fold and press the sides together using a fork.
- Beat the egg with water to create egg wash, then brush the egg wash over your empanadas.
- Bake empanadas for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and then bake for remaining 5 minutes
- Enjoy immediately with Jalapeño Cilantro Lime Sauce!
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust taste to your preferences with salt/pepper, lime, and jalapeños.
