Chicken Empanada (Filipino Bakery-Style)

Buttery pastry pockets filled with savoury chicken, potatoes, carrots, peas, and raisins. — Yield 12–16 · Prep 45m + chilling · Cook 35–45m, including filling

Ingredients

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 225 g cold butter or shortening, cubed
• 1 large egg
• 120–150 ml cold water
• 400 g cooked chicken, diced
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 large egg, beaten, for brushing
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, for sautéing the filling
• 2–4 tablespoons water or broth, only as needed to soften the vegetables

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté onion and garlic. Add the diced potato and carrot with 2–4 tablespoons water or broth, cover and cook until tender. Add cooked chicken, peas, raisins and soy sauce, and cook until hot and fairly dry. Spread in a shallow container and cool promptly before filling the pastry.
2. Rub or cut the cold butter into the flour and salt until pea-size pieces remain, then add the egg and just enough cold water to form a tender dough.
3. Wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes while the filling cools and the oven heats to 190°C.
4. Roll the dough 3 mm thick, cut 14–16 rounds and place a measured spoonful of filling in the centre of each.
5. Fold into half-moons, press out trapped air and seal and crimp the edges securely; place on a lined baking tray.
6. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 22–28 minutes until evenly golden and fully baked through.
7. Cool for 10 minutes before serving and refrigerate chicken-filled leftovers within 2 hours.

Kitchen note

Keep the dough cold and do not overwork it so the crust stays flaky and tender