Southern Rocklobster Empanadas

Makes 27 Empanadas

Ingredients for the empanada pastry

5g double action baking powder, available from most Asian/Chinese grocers
270g strong flour + little extra for rolling
5g fine sea salt
100g lard, cold and cut into pieces
50g white wine, cold
50g fino sherry, cold

Ingredients for the Southern Rocklobster filling - see note

135g green Southern Rocklobster meat (leg and head meat is fine)
0.5g fine sea salt
.25g white pepper
6g white wine vinegar
30g Rocklobster stock, can be dirty stock
10g tapioca flour

Other Ingredients

Roasted and peeled red capsicums/bell peppers, marinated in EV olive, seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and finely Minced organic garlic
Roasted and smoked eggplant
Chopped pumpkin or zucchini flowers
1 egg yolk
Vegetable oil, or a mixture of EV olive oil and Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Other materials

90mm pastry cutter
1cm chisel sable paintbrush

Method

For the empanada pastry

In a Thermomix or food processor, mix the baking powder, flour and salt. Add the lard and work in very quickly and then add the liquid, working just long enough to bring it together.
Tip the mixture onto your pastry slab, knead together, wrap in plastic food wrap and rest for 30 minutes (overworking ruins the texture of this pastry)

For the Southern Rocklobster filling

Chop the rocklobster meat on pulse then work in the other ingredients also on pulse. Scrape into a container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Using as little flour as possible, roll the pastry out thinly and cut disks.
Add 6g of the rocklobster filling per empanada and a little of the other ingredients. Brush one half of each disk with egg yolk, push them together and pleat the tops. Keep covered with plastic food wrap while completing the full batch of dough.

Provided you are sparing with the additional rolling flour, it is possible to knead the dough together and roll again without any noticeable stretchiness or real change in the texture of the pastry.

Keep chilled until ready to serve. Fry into hot oil until golden, drain on paper towel. These empanadas are great by themselves but also terrific with Southern Rocklobster Oil Mayonnaise

Note

This recipe stretches the rocklobster a long way. If your budget allows, chunks of green leg meat that have been seasoned with sea salt and white pepper are really terrific. It is especially good rolled through a little EV olive oil and some finely minced ginger and garlic.