Mexican Black Bean and Chorizo Empanadas

Such is each Latin American country's claim over this cherished delicacy, one could argue for the need of an international empanada convention. Originally introduced to Mexico by Cornish miners in the 19th Century, empanadas are a flaky rough pastry filled with any of the usual street food fillings and fried or baked until puffed up and crispy. These ones are a particularly good winter warmer...

INGREDIENTS

400g cooked black beans, tinned or homemade – they should be cooked or heated until falling apart, then drained

250g good-quality chorizo, skin removed

1 medium onion, finely chopped small handful of thyme, chopped egg wash (1 egg mixed with a splash of milk)

For the pastry:

360g plain flour, chilled, plus extra for sprinkling

a few good teaspoons salt

180g lard, chilled and cut into small cubes

1 egg

150ml ice-cold water

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F/gas 6.

1. To make the pastry sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, then rub in the lard until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs. The less you work the pastry, the better. Mix the egg and water together, pour into the flour mix and stir with a fork until it just comes together. The dough will be soft, rough and quite sticky. Gather it together with cool hands, sprinkle with flour and pat down

to a thickness of 2-3cm. Cover with cling and chill for 2 hours.

2. Dice the chorizo into 5mm chunks and put them in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium/high heat. When the chorizo starts to release its fat, stir in the onion. Turn the heat down a little and cook the mixture until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the black beans, then mash so that they roughly bind everything together. Add the thyme and remove from heat.

3. Divide the dough in 2 and, on a flour-dusted board, roll each half into a rectangle about 5mm thick. Cut each rectangle into 4 squares and transfer to oiled baking sheets. Cover with cling fi lm and chill for 20 minutes. Put 1–2 generous tablespoonfuls of the chorizo mixture in the middle of each square. Brush some egg wash around the filling, then fold a corner of the pastry over to

the opposite corner to make a triangle. Press the edges together with a fork. Brush the parcels with the remaining egg wash and prick with the fork once or twice to create air holes.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp and golden, turning over once. Eat at once!

Makes 8

Recipe adapted from Wahaca – Mexican Food at Home by Thomasina Miers, published by Hodder & Stoughton, © Thomasina Miers. Photograph © Malou Burger.