Lobster Empanadas

High in the Andes, near the border with Chile, is the all-season
splendor of San Carlos de Bariloche. At Christmastime it's a fairyland
of cobalt lakes, forested islands, and manicured parklands surrounded
by snow-capped alpine peaks. In the center of a small peninsula stands
the rustic but elegant Llao Llao Hotel, a holiday mecca for the elite
of Buenos Aires, Santiago, and even Paris, Düsseldorf, London, Madrid
and Milan. When not attending the hotel's casino (closed as of this
writing), guests spend their time dining in exquisite surroundings on
international cuisine as well as impeccably fresh seafood from the
Pacific coast of Chile. Hence, recipes such as Empanadas de Bariloche
frequently straddle the border.

Pastry
1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
6 to 8 tablespoons very cold water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Filling
6 ounces fresh lobster or langostino meat, cooked, shelled and roughly
chopped (or sal****er or fresh water crayfish)
1/2 cup alioli or homemade mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 tablespoon cognac
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup finely chopped scallions, including green part
1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 to 3 hard-boiled eggs, cut lengthwise into 8 pieces
16 to 20 pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons water

Pastry Directions
Using a fork, combine the butter and cream cheese. Sift the flour over
the mixture. Add baking powder, cumin, vinegar, and water and combine
with a fork. Flour hands generously and work the dough until it becomes
a smooth, elastic ball, 3 to 4 minutes. Flour both the work surface and
rolling pin. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut it into
6-inch circles for main course-sized empanadas. For appetizer-sized
empanaditas, cut the dough into 3-inch circles. Cover the pastries with
a lightly floured towel until you are ready to fill them.
Filling Directions
Combine the lobster, mayonnaise, tomato puree, cognac, mustard,
scallions, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly. Set the filling aside
and keep it cool until you are ready to fill the empanadas.

Assembly Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Oil a large cookie sheet or line it with
Silpat. Spoon the filling in the center of the pastry circles - about
2 tablespoons of filling for each main course empanada or 1 heaping
teaspoon for empanaditas. Stuff an egg slice and 1 or 2 olives in the
filling and fold the dough over the filling forming a half-moon. Beat
the egg with the water to make a glaze. Moisten the open edges with the
glaze and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers to seal.

Place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and brush the top of each with
the glaze. Bake them for 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 350 F and
continue baking for about 5 minutes more or until the empanadas are
golden. When the empanadas are done, remove them from the oven and cool
them on racks for several minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To freeze and reheat, place frozen cooked empanadas in a preheated
350 F oven for approximately 20 minutes.

Extra! Tips from Epicurious:
.. You don't need to boil an entire lobster to get the meat you need.
Instead, get a Brazilian or Maine lobster tail (generally frozen) at
your local fish market; one tail is usually enough to get six ounces of
lobster meat. To prep, simply defrost the tail in a bowl of
room-temperature water, boil for approximately six minutes (the tail
will float), and let cool before shelling and chopping.
.. Alioli is a garlicky Spanish mayonnaise, similar to French aïoli.
The brand Ybarra Ali-Oli is available online at www.spanishtable.com.
Or try the Argentine brand Dánica Mayonesa, available online at
www.amigofoods.com. If using Hellmann's, add lemon juice to taste to
perk up the flavor.
.. Be careful not to overfill the empanadas; the lobster filling is
rich, and a little goes a long way.
.. Suggested Argentine wines: Try one of the juicy Chardonnays from
Mendoza, such as Nicolás Catena's honey-gold 2001 Catena Alta
Chardonnay (Bodega Catena Zapata; $32) or the impressive 2002 Trumpeter
Chardonnay from Bodega La Rural (a steal at $9). Or, if you can find
it, a six-pack of ice-cold Quilmes, the Budweiser of Argentina, is
refreshing and authentic.

Makes 8 to 10 main course empanadas or 20 to 25 hors d'oeuvre-sized
empanaditas.



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