After a ridiculously delicious Saturday night, I found myself in the house on a rainy, cold Sunday. I also found myself with two duck leg/thigh combos in the fridge and a wife that blew me away by saying, “Let’s make duck empanadas. I’ll make the dough.” Giddyup!
A few hours later, I was cradling a puffy, golden sherried duck empanada in my hand marveling at the result of husband and wife teamwork. In the other hand I was holding a glass of la Gitana Manzanilla. On my face was a big, fat grin.
Here’s how it all went down…
For the Filling:
2 leg/thighs of duck (skin on)
salt and pepper
1/2 can of beer
1 diced red pepper
1 diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cup dry sherry (Not La Gitana Manzanilla! But an oloroso would also be good in this recipe.)
1/2 cube beef bullion
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
Season the duck with salt and pepper and pour the beer in the bottom of a casserole. Bake covered for 2 hours on 350°F. Bone and shred the cooked duck and discard the skin. Reserve the beer and duck fat juice from the casserole. Place the shredded duck meat aside.
Sauté the pepper, garlic and onions in the oil and gradually add spices, bullion and sherry. Let the sherry cook off and then add some more. Add a few spoonfuls of the beer/duck fat juice for flavor. Add shredded duck and cook until moisture is an empanada filling consistency.
For the Dough:
Have your wife find a good empanada dough recipe and then say, “Thanks for doing this!” a lot while she rolls the dough and fills the empanadas. Oh, be helpful and turn on the oven and chill the Manzanilla. She’ll be grateful.
NotHemingway 