Recipe developed by Jillian Rivers.

A zesty filling made with Glinna Tassinari’s Sausage, wrapped in home-made dough, and baked golden brown… no wonder Jillian calls these savory empanadas “the number one food item devoured at every family party.”

Filling

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 2 pounds Sausages Homemade & Natural sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced
  • sea salt, preferably Duxbury Saltworks, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 1-2 minutes, or until translucent. Add ginger and green onion and allow to sweat a minute, then stir in curry powder and fry a minute more. Add sausage, breaking it up and mixing it with the aromatics. Continue cooking for about 6 minutes, until meat is browned but still juicy. Off the heat, add cilantro, lime zest and juice, and sea salt to taste. Allow filling to cool.

Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, preferably Duxbury Saltworks
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 4 ounces cold butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten, to glaze

Mix the flour, salt, and turmeric in a food processor for 15 seconds. Add butter and pulse several times. Add the egg and milk and pulse until incorporated in clumps. Knead dough on a floured surface just until the surface is shiny, then divide it in two and round it into balls. Cover airtight and let rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll out one ball of dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out 2 1/2 to 3-inch discs using a round cookie cutter or the mouth of a jar. (Alternatively, you can make small round balls and flatten them in a tortilla press.)

Top each disc with a tablespoonful of filling. Fold over into a half-moon shape, pinching closed. Crimp the edge with a fork to fully seal the empanada. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops of empanadas with egg yolk and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake about 15 minutes, or until empanadas are golden and the curry sausage aroma fills your kitchen.

Makes 15 -20.