These whitefish empanadas, courtesy of award-winning Indigenous chef Stephanie Baryluk, transform humble ingredients into something deeply satisfying. Baked until golden and served with a smoky charred tomato salsa, they’re ideal as a shared appetizer or relaxed dinner.
Empanada dough
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 stick of butter chilled and cut into small pieces
2 eggs divided, one egg to seal the empanadas
¼ cup ice cold water
Empanada filling
- 1.5 cups russet potato, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup green onion, sliced
- 2 cups cooked whitefish
- 1 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Season whitefish with salt and pepper and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Set aside and let cool. In a medium pan, sauté onions, garlic and potatoes over medium heat until soft. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and Old Bay. In a large mixing bowl combine cooked fish, potato mixture, green onions, and mayonnaise and set aside to chill.
In a food processor, mix flour and salt. Add butter, egg and cold water to the flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap dough with plastic. Chill for 30 minutes to one hour. Remove dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a thin sheet and cut discs using a large biscuit cutter. Place approximately one tbsp. of filling into each empanada. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges with a fork or your fingers. In a separate bowl, beat one egg and brush the top of the empanadas with beaten egg to help seal. Preheat oven to 400°F and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve with charred tomato salsa.
Charred tomato salsa
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 red onion
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup green onions
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Place all vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until charred. Set aside vegetables in a bowl and allow to cool. Peel off and discard charred skins, as well as all seeds from the jalapenos. Cut tomatoes into quarters. Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend to desired chunkiness.