Chicken, chorizo & harissa empanadas

MAKES 25 PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES (+ STANDING + COOLING)

2 cups (300g) masa harina 1 teaspoon table salt

¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 medium (300g) brown onions, chopped finely

400g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, chopped finely

140g chorizo sausage, skinned, crumbled finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon harissa, approximately ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley vegetable or olive oil, for deep-frying sea salt flakes, to serve 1 Combine masa harina and salt in a large bowl; add 1⅓ cups (330ml) cold water, mix to a soft dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; stand for 30 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add chicken and chorizo; cook, stirring, over medium heat for 5 minutes or until just cooked through. Add garlic and harissa to taste; cook, stirring, for a further 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in parsley. Cool.

3 Knead dough lightly until smooth; divide in half. Roll half the dough between sheets of baking paper until 2mm thick.

Cut out 9cm rounds. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture on one side of a round. Moisten edge with a little water; press together gently to seal. Place empanadas on a baking paper-lined oven tray; cover with baking paper and a damp tea towel. Repeat with remaining pastry half and filling. Crimp rounded edge with a fork.

4 Deep-fry empanadas, in hot oil over medium heat, in batches, for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towel.

5 Serve empanadas hot, sprinkled with salt. Baked and unbaked empanadas suitable to freeze.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3cm pieces

1 small (200g) leek, white part only, chopped coarsely 1 small (250g) orange sweet potato, chopped coarsely ¼ cup (60ml) white wine ¼ cup (60ml) chicken stock 200g crème fraîche 1 tablespoon plain flour 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

2 teaspoons polenta 1½ teaspoons sea salt flakes

POLENTA PASTRY

2 cups (300g) plain flour ½ cup (80g) polenta

200g cold unsalted butter, chopped

2 eggs 1 POLENTA PASTRY Process flour, polenta and butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Lightly beat eggs and ¼ cup (60ml) iced water in a small bowl with a fork; reserve 1 tablespoon for brushing. Add remaining egg mixture to flour mixture, process until pastry begins to come together. Turn onto a work surface; knead lightly until smooth. Divide dough into two-thirds and one-third; press into flat rounds. Wrap separately in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.

2 Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook chicken, in batches, until browned. Remove from pan. Heat remaining oil in same pan; cook leek and sweet potato, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add wine and stock; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and sweet potato is tender. Remove from heat; stir in chicken, combined crème fraîche and flour, then tarragon.

Season to taste. Cool.

3 Lightly grease eight holes of two 6-hole (¾-cup/180ml) Texas muffin pans. Divide larger quantity of pastry into eight portions.

Roll out one portion on a floured work surface until 17cm round, large enough to line a pan hole and with generous overhang. Ease pastry into hole; press into base and side. Repeat with remaining portions. Trim pastry, leaving 1cm above pan edge. Cover; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll remaining pastry with any scraps; use an 8cm cutter to cut out eight rounds. Place rounds on a baking paper-lined oven tray; freeze for 15 minutes or until required.

4 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced); place two trays in oven while heating.

5 Spoon chicken mixture into pastry cases. Working quickly, cut a cross in the centre of one pastry round; place over filling. Lightly brush with reserved egg mixture. Fold overhanging pastry inwards to seal pie; brush lightly with egg mixture. Repeat with remaining rounds and pies. Sprinkle pies with polenta and salt flakes. 6 Place muffin pans on hot oven trays. Bake for 18 minutes or until pastry is golden, swapping trays halfway through. Leave pies in pans for 5 minutes before serving. Use a palette knife to remove pies from pans.

Baked and unbaked pies suitable to freeze.