Patagonian Scallop and Leek Empanadas

These baked, Patagonian scallop and leek empanadas are filled with scallops, leek, red bell pepper, tomato and green (spring) onion. The filling is delicately poached in white wine and herbs before being enveloped in pastry, then baked until golden.

With little human development in Patagonia, the waters are free of pollution affecting other parts of the world. Seafood from the area is renowned and is naturally a popular staple for the local inhabitants as well as for the lucky tourists who come down to “the end of the world”.

It is not just scallops renowned from the area, but Patagonian tooth fish (commonly known as Chilean sea bass) as well.

Scallops are a favorite in many parts of the world so here is another way you can cook this versatile shellfish. Scallops go so well with the gentle flavor of leeks and then being poached in white wine and herbs. And why empanadas?

Empanadas in South America

Well empanadas are just everywhere in Central and South America! They are eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just as a snack to be eaten at any time. Almost all restaurants in Argentina and Chile will feature empanadas on their menu. And what are empanadas?

Like many other food cultures around the world, favorite fillings wrapped in pastry are common as they are a convenient way to eat things on the go. The original fast food if you like. They are not dissimilar to pasties (being the same shape but smaller) or pies in terms of the variety of fillings. They may more closely resemble samosas from India (without the warm spices which are not popular in Argentina and Chile).

There seems little doubt empanadas arrived on the South American continent as a result of Spanish (and Portuguese) colonization. The first empanadas were made in the Iberian peninsula, specifically Portugal and Galicia (the north-westernmost region of Spain), during the Medieval period and at the time of the Moorish invasion. The name “empanada” comes from the Spanish “empanar“, which means “to bread” or, in the case of the empanada, “to wrap something in bread”.

Patagonian Scallop and Leek Empanadas

The most common empanadas are meat-filled or cheese, seafood is less commonly used as a filling. However, in Patagonia, we did come across seafood-based empanadas. Traditionally, empanadas are baked (and healthier) but many are now deep fried and these are probably more popular than the baked versions. Each country in South and Central America has its own favorite versions. You can read more about the regional versions here.

What got me thinking about the ingredients in this dish was the rather gourmet scallop pies I enjoyed so much from our favorite farmer’s market in Melbourne, the subject of a future post. And then when we came across scallop empanadas in Puerto Natales in Patagonia, I knew I had to make a dish like this.

The empanadas do take a little bit of time but you will love the results. With gourmet ingredients you can’t go wrong. If you want to try a wine that is a little different, do try and source torrontes, an Argentinian white wine that is a real surprise packet. We really enjoyed this wine in Patagonia and we were able to find it in wine and liquor stores with good South American wine selections.

Please try the Patagonian Scallop and Leek Empanadas and let us know what you think.

Cheers.

Patagonian Scallop and Leek Empanadas Recipes

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Patagonian Scallop and Leek Empanadas

Print Recipe

These baked empanadas are filled with scallops, leeks, red pepper, tomato and green (spring) onions. The filling is delicately poached in white wine and herbs before being enveloped in pastry, then baked until golden. They make a great appetizer or as a snack any time of the day.

Servings	Prep Time	Cook Time	Passive Time
8people	1 1/4hours	12minutes	1hour

Servings	Prep Time
8people	1 1/4hours

Cook Time	Passive Time
12minutes	1hour

• Course Appetizers
• Cuisine Patagonian

Ingredients

• Empanada Pastry
• 2 cups flour, all purpose (plain)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt, ground sea
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water warm
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Scallop and Leek Filling
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek finely sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper (capsicum), red finely diced
• 1/4 cup onions, green (spring) thinly sliced
• salt, ground sea
• black pepper, ground
• 1 tomato skin removed, de-seeded, finely diced
• 1 lb scallops washed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp paprika, smoked mild is also ok
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp oregano, dried dried (or 2 tsp fresh)
• Egg Wash
• 1 egg yolk

Servings: people

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Course Appetizers Cuisine Patagonian Ingredients Empanada Pastry 2 cups flour, all purpose (plain) 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt, ground sea 1 egg 1/2 cup water warm 1 tbsp olive oil Scallop and Leek Filling 1 tbsp olive oil 1 leek finely sliced 1/2 bell pepper (capsicum), red finely diced 1/4 cup onions, green (spring) thinly sliced salt, ground sea black pepper, ground 1 tomato skin removed, de-seeded, finely diced 1 lb scallops washed 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tsp paprika, smoked mild is also ok 1 bay leaf 1 tsp oregano, dried dried (or 2 tsp fresh) Egg Wash 1 egg yolk Servings: people Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

Pastry

1. Make the dough first. In a bowl mix all of the ingredients with a wooden spoon. When combined, start kneading with your hands on a smooth, clean surface until the dough is soft and silky. You may need to add flour or water to get to the right consistency. Cover in wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Filling

1. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Over a medium heat, place the olive oil in a pan and saute the leek, red bell pepper and green onion for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. When softened, add the tomato, scallops, white wine, paprika, bay leaf and oregano. Cook for 3 minutes and then allow filling to cool.

Empanadas

1. Pre-heat oven to 250 F (480 C).
2. Unwrap the pastry and roll into small balls (about half the size of a golf ball) about 16 in total. With a rolling pin, dusted with flour, roll into 3 to 4 inch (8-10 cm) circles.
3. Add 3-4 tablespoons of filling on one half of each pastry.
4. Cover with the other half of the pastry. Close the empanada by pressing and crimping the edge with a small fork. Make a small hole in the top of the empanada to allow steam to escape.
5. Brush each empanada with the egg yolk. Place in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and sprinly very lightly with ground sea salt.

Recipe Notes

Serve empanadas with or without sauce.  Chimichurri sauce is a good choice.

Serve this with a white wine from the area, such as torrontes.  It's uniquely Argentinian and goes well with this dish.