This Sonoran empanada recipe is a celebration of Mexican seafood. Here’s how to make it
Sonora has two distinct cuisines, one based on the bounty of the land, the other born of the bounty of the sea. The mountainous east is the land of roaming herds of cattle, wild greens grown in river valleys and red chile bathed dishes. The west is defined by dry costal plains where vineyards and watermelon patches cover the landscape and sustenance comes from the sea.
As someone who grew up with the calm warm waters of Bahía de Kino, in what we call the Golfo de Baja California and Americans call the Sea of Cortez, I have many memories of the beautiful coastline and its astounding biodiversity and fresh seafood, like the oysters my father and maternal grandmother would dig up at low tide.
Increased boat traffic into the Gulf, the strain on the old sewage infrastructure of coastal cities like Guaymas, which continue to see growth, but are unable to keep up with it, and overfishing now threaten the delicate ecosystem. If things continue as they are, the water will warm faster than sea life can adapt to and the sea I knew will no longer exist.
I guarded this ‘secret’ recipe for Sonoran chorizo for a decade
Recipe: Seafood Empanadas
While this particular recipe uses oysters, it can just as easily be enjoyed with shrimp, mussels or clams, if they are carefully cleaned to remove gritty sand. If using shrimp, cook them for a minute or two in a pan until the distinctive pink color appears.
Makes: 24 empanadas
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 4 cups (480 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (50 g) melted butter
- 1 cup hot water
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium white onion, small diced
- 1 chile verde, stems and seeds removed, small diced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoon dry Mexican oregano (grind in your palm just before adding)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 dozen large oysters or 24 small, shucked, liquor strained and reserved
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
To assemble the empanadas:
- Flour for dusting as needed
- Water for sealing empanadas
- A fork for decorative edge
- Vegetable oil or lard for frying, as needed
- Avocado, cucumber slices and lime wedges, for serving
Preparation:
Make the dough:
- Start by making the dough. In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt.
- Combine butter and hot water. Pour into dry ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead using the heel of your palm to stretch the dough, folding it back onto itself, turning and repeating until a smooth dough is formed.
- Wrap tightly and allow to rest for half an hour.
Make the filling:
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat a large pan over medium and add butter. Melt until foaming.
- Add onions and chile verde, stirring gently. Cook until onion is softened and translucent.
- Salt lightly and add tomatoes and Mexican oregano. Be sure to grind up the oregano between palms before adding. Stir well to combine and cook until tomatoes have softened.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add red wine vinegar, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until vinegar is absorbed and the pan is dry.
- Add oysters (or other shellfish) and strained oyster liquor, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust for season.
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Allow to cool.
Assemble the empanadas:
Cook’s note: The dough can be rolled out two different ways. One way is to divide into 24 individual portions— divide in half, then divide each half into half until 24 pieces are achieved. Alternatively, you can divide the dough into quarters, then roll each quarter out into a thin even sheet and use a round cutter approximately 5 inches in diameter to cut 6 rounds from each. Please note that this dough does not work well when scraps are kneaded back together.
Chef Orduño Rincón is here to teach you how to cook Sonoran-style