Pasilla-Mushroom Empanadas
Makes about 50 small empanadas - serves 12-15
Corn tortilla dough for empanadas:
- 3 cups finely ground yellow masa harina
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup canola oil
Combine all ingredients for tortilla dough in a large mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Dough should be slightly sticky and form a ball when pressed together.
Divide into 50 balls.
Flatten balls by placing dough in a tortilla press that is lined with 2 sheets of wax paper. After pressing, remove the top sheet of wax paper, hold the tortilla and peel off the bottom sheet. Dough should be shaped like pancakes that are about ¼ inch thick by 3-inch wide.
Pasilla-Mushroom filling:
- 16 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 12 large dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 8 cups sliced portabello mushrooms
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
Roast garlic in a cast iron pan on medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes. In another pan, roast the chiles - 1 or 2 at a time - pressing down with a spatula, a few seconds on each side. After roasting, cover chiles with hot water in a small saucepan and cook on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes. When chiles are tender, drain the water, reserving 1/3 cup for later use.
In a food processor, combine chiles, reserved cooking water, garlic, oregano, cumin and pepper. Puree, adding a bit of water if necessary. Press mixture through a medium strainer into a bowl.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium sized, heavy pot over medium high heat. When hot, add the pasilla mixture and stir about 5 minutes as it thickens. Add the stock, mushrooms and cilantro. Lower heat and simmer until mushrooms are soft and sauce is thick - about 8 minutes. Cool before filling empanadas.
Melt butter and lightly coat one side of each tortilla. Place mushroom mixture in the center, fold over to close and pinch the edges together to seal. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Fry empanadas until they begin to turn golden (about 7 minutes). Drain on paper towels.