Empanadas de Viento

Pujol’s empanadas de viento are fried wheat pastries filled with melting cheese and the selected optional white onion, then sprinkled with sugar. This version makes its own butter-and-orange-juice dough and uses mozzarella for the filling.

Wheat flour, salt, baking powder and the optional spoonful of sugar are mixed in a food processor. Supplied butter pieces are incorporated, followed by orange juice and the selected still mineral water, starting with half a cup and adding the rest gradually.

The dough is worked into a ball, placed in a form, coated with a little oil and covered for an hour at room temperature. Small balls are rolled into thin discs. Grated mozzarella and the optional supplied finely chopped white onion are mixed for the filling.

A tablespoon of filling goes into each disc. The dough is folded and sealed successively with fingers, a fork, folded-and-twisted edges and the fork again; the assembled empanadas refrigerate for at least an hour.

Oil in the selected frying pan reaches at least halfway up each empanada. The pastries fry until golden, about a minute per side, and move onto paper towels to absorb excess fat. Sugar is sprinkled over them and they are served immediately.