In an effort to be adventurous in the kitchen my love affair with all things Dave Lieberman continues. I have yet to make a recipe from Dave’s collection that I didn’t find thoroughly delicious, and these Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas were no exception. The chicken mixture is spicy, smoky, and surprisingly hearty, and I’ve said it before but it definitely bares repeating — I honestly believe that puff pastry is the world’s perfect food! The twist on this dish is the great Tomato and Pineapple Salsa Fresca that is served on the side. I loved the tanginess of the pineapple, jalapeño, tomato, and scallion mixture. I actually was extremely shocked that these flavors worked so well together. I even ate the leftover salsa the next day at lunch. Obviously that held up much better on day two than the empanadas, which I definitely do not recommend as a leftover meal. Freshly baked is definitely best in this case as they became quite soggy overnight.
 Everything Starts With Onions |
 Let’s Add Some Heat |
 Add the Chicken & Beans |
 Cool the Filling |
 Stir in Chopped Cilantro |
 Dice, Slice, and Mix Up the Salsa |
 Roll Out the Pastry Dough |
 Divide Into Equal Parts |
 Layer With Chicken & Bean Mixture |
 Dampen the Edges, Fold Over, and Seal |
 Brush With Oil and Bake Until Golden |
 Now Where’s My Margarita? |
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
When I make empanadas I use a basic flour dough and deep fry them… Can you fry puff pastry dough? I’ve never worked with it before.
you make everything look so easy so that I think “i could make that!” but i probably can’t. how did you get the chicken like that? did you have to cook a whole chicken and then tear it up? see? i can’t even cook anything!
(although i did make some delicious martha stewart truffles last night that were a bit hit at the knitting group!)
we’re so freaking domestic it’s unbelievable.
Melissa:
I actually don’t think that you can deep fry puff pastry. I believe it’s generally used as an alternative to frying since it bakes up very flaky and golden brown.
Kristen:
You’ll love this Kristen. The whole premise behind this particular episode was that Dave had leftover rotisserie chicken to use up. I bought one of those Boston Market chickens from Stop-N-Shop. It was deeelicious.
Wow those look yummy. (Especially the salsa!) I
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