Recipe: chorizo-stuffed empanadas from Corinna Mozo at Delux

PREP TIME: 15 minutes REFRIGERATION TIME: 1 hour COOK TIME: 20 minutes Serves 10

CHORIZO EMPANADA

DOUGH 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes 1 egg

FILLING ¾ lb uncooked chorizo sausages ⅓ cup red onion, finely chopped 2 small red bell peppers, finely chopped 8 green olives, finely chopped 3 tbsp raisins 2 tbsp capers, drained 1 tbsp caper brine 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin Salt

1. In a food processor, pulse flour with tsp salt until mixed. Add butter. Pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. With the machine running, add ⅓ cup ice-cold water, then add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, until dough begins to cohere. Do not over-mix. Turn machine off and place mixture on a flat surface. Knead until dough binds. Wrap in foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm.

2. Cook chorizo sausages in a pan over medium heat, 10 to 15 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool slightly.

3. Divide dough into 10 balls, then roll each ball into a 5-inch circle. Place on 2 greased baking sheets. Refrigerate prepared circles to chill, then prepare filling.

4. Place all filling ingredients except chorizo in a saucepan set over medium-low heat. Gently simmer for 10 minutes until ingredients soften slightly. Remove chorizo from casings and crumble into filling. Stir to mix evenly. Add salt to taste. Let filling cool slightly.

5. Preheat oven to 400º F. Place about ¼ cup of filling in centre of each circle of dough. Pull edge of dough up over filling, leaving centre exposed, and folding and crimping edges as you go. It should look like a small galette. Beat egg with a little bit of water. Brush egg wash over pastry edges. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TIP Prepared dough and filling will keep well covered and refrigerated separately for up to 3 days. When ready to prepare, roll out dough and continue assembling instructions.

CORINNA MOZO DELUX Despite the ever-increasing truckload of new restaurants and bars on the Ossington strip, Delux—practically a neighbourhood veteran at five years old—still fills up regularly with loyal diners. They’re here to enjoy the cozy low-lit room and Corinna Mozo’s terrific bistro food. This chorizo empanada is a stellar example of why she’s worth the attention. The recipe is a departure from the traditional Cuban empanadas—crisp, flaky pockets of meat-stuffed glory—that Mozo’s father made when she was growing up in Montreal. When it came time to create her own version, Mozo had to mix it up, fusing her love of French and Cuban cooking. The result is a satisfying cross between a tidy, savoury choux and casual, flavour-bursting Latin street food.

Recipes developed by Victoria Walsh. Recipe photography by Ryan Szulc. Portrait photography by Raina and Wilson. Illustrations by Aleksandar Janicijevic. Interviews by Denise Balkissoon, Ariel Brewster, Andrew D’Cruz, Jennifer Goldberg, Matthew Hague, Claire Hastings, Bronwen Jervis and Simone Olivero.