Destination
Cuenca
The story
Empanadas de verde are Ecuador's coastal and Amazonian answer to the empanada: instead of wheat pastry, the shell is made from mashed green plantain, and the classic filling is a slab of melty white cheese (queso fresco or queso blanco), sometimes accompanied by a scoop of shredded chicken or a spoon of hogao. Formed by hand between two sheets of plastic, sealed with a fork, deep-fried until the outside crackles into a deep bronze crust. The cheese melts inside as the empanada cooks. Sold at every roadside kiosk and mid-afternoon bakery from Guayaquil to Puyo.
Method
Place the plantain chunks in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook 20 to 25 minutes until fork-tender.
Drain well. Immediately transfer to a large bowl and mash smooth with a potato masher. Green plantain dough seizes if it cools before mashing.
Add the achiote oil, butter and salt to the hot mash. Knead by hand for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, glossy and slightly warm-sticky. The dough should feel like soft Play-Doh and hold a shape without cracking.
Wet your hands. Pinch off a piece about the size of a small egg (60g). Place between two sheets of plastic (a slit freezer bag works). Press flat with the base of a heavy pan into a disc about 12cm wide and 4mm thick.
Peel back the top plastic. Place a slab of cheese (and a small spoon of onion + coriander if using) on one half of the disc. Using the bottom plastic, fold the empanada in half over the filling. Press the edges together firmly, then crimp with a fork.
Heat the oil in a deep pot to 175°C (350°F). Fry the empanadas in batches of 2 or 3 for 3 to 4 minutes, turning gently, until deep golden and crackly all over. Don't crowd the pot.
Lift onto kitchen paper. Serve immediately with ají picante and a small cup of strong black coffee.
Tips
- Green plantains only. Yellow or ripe plantains make a sweet, sticky dough that falls apart in the oil. Skin must be entirely green and firm.
- Shape between plastic sheets. Green plantain dough is too fragile to roll on a floured surface. Two sheets of plastic (or a slit freezer bag) let you press flat and lift the disc without tearing.
- Fresh Ecuadorian queso fresco is ideal. Mozzarella is a passable substitute; halloumi and feta are too dry. You want a cheese that melts (but not too much) into the hot dough.
- Fry as soon as shaped. The dough softens if it sits at room temperature. Shape and fry in small batches rather than shaping everything first.
- Best within 5 minutes of frying. The exterior loses its crackle fast. If serving a crowd, cook in batches and pass around straight from the pan.
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