Blood sausage & apple empanadas
I know. This isn’t your typical empanada recipe.
But who cares! There are no rules in my kitchen.
I have become quite the fan of fancy empanadas.
It all started when a client asked me if I could make special empanadas.
I went home, did some brainstorming and got to work in the kitchen. Before you know it I had boeuf bourguignon, pulled pork with pineapple, and blackened chicken with grapes and pecans.
They were dynamite, especially the boeuf. However VERY TIME CONSUMING.
The idea of mixing apples and morcilla (blood sausage) was first brought to my attention by celebrity Argentine chef Narda Lepes. There’s a recipe in her book for focaccia-morcilla-apple-pine nuts and I thought to myself, I want to do that but empanada style! So I did, and they’re delicious!
In New Orleans we are accustomed to eating blood sausage also known as boudin or boudin noir.
Here in Argentina it’s a popular protein cooked on the grill at asados known as morcilla.
I’m not a fan of the skin but I love the creamy sweet and salty filling.
My good friend Maria explained to me that they’re common in French cooking, especially in stews. They offer a richness in both color and taste. That will be my next morcilla project.
Blood Sausage & Apple Empanadas (yields 12) ::
- 2 morcilla links, skins removed
- 1 granny smith apple
- butter & vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, small dice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- lemon
- salt & pepper
- empanada wrappers or dough
- salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Remove the skins from the morcilla and cut into 1/2 inch slices.
Heat a pan over medium heat, add a tsp of oil and sweat your onion and garlic. Once translucent toss in the morcilla and cook til the meat starts to break down and get creamy. Season with salt & pepper and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Peel and core the apple. Cut into small dice and toss with lemon juice, salt & pepper. Add a spoonful of butter to the same pan you cooked the morcilla in. Cook the apple for 3-5 minutes and remove from heat. Combine with morcilla mix.
Set up your empanada station. You will need a spoon, flour for your countertop, and a small bowl of water. Take your empanada wrapper and dip your index finger in the water. Rub the border of the empanada wrapper. Place a heaping spoonful of morcilla mix in the center of the wrapper and fold in half to form a half-moon. Wet your thumb and index finger in the water and secure the border. Starting on the left side gently fold over the border til a ‘rope’ is formed. Place the empanada on a greased baking sheet. Continue til you have 12 empanadas.
Place the empanadas in the oven and cook til golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.
