Recipe: Brazilian appetizers - Empanadas, Brazilian Onion Bites, Bolinhos de Bacalhau (Salt Cod Fritters)

Brazilian Empanadas

3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
10 tbl unsalted butter
6 tbl shortening
1 x egg
1/2 cup beer
1 sm onion cut 1/2" dice
2 x plum tomatoes cut 1/2" dice
1 can hearts of palm - (14 oz) drained, and palms cut into 1/2" dice
2 tbl butter
1/2 cup Sherry
1 tbl tomato paste
1/2 lb shrimp peeled, deveined, and cut into 1/2" dice
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 x egg yolk
Oil for frying

Sift together the flour, salt, and tumeric. Work in the butter and shortening until it has a cornmeal-like consistency. Add the egg and the beer, and work until incorporated. Cover with a wet towel, and rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion, tomatoes, and hearts of palm in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Deglaze with the Sherry. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.

Preheat oil to 350 degrees.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and flatten into rounds approximately 3-inches in diameter. Spoon 1 tablespoon of stuffing onto each round, fold the dough in half, brush edges with egg yolk, and pinch to seal. Fry the empanadas for 4 minutes.

This recipe yields 20 servings.

Brazilian Onion Bites

1 sm onion -- peeled
6 tbl mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
6 x thin slices white bread crusts removed
3 tbl freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Quarter onion lengthwise, then cut into thin slivers crosswise.

Mix the onion with 5 tablespoons of the mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Spread 3 slices of bread on one side with the remaining mayonnaise. Cut these into quarters. Cut the remaining 3 slices of bread into quarters and spread each square evenly with the onion mixture.

Top with the reserved bread squares, mayonnaise side up. Place these on a baking sheet and sprinkle the tops generously with Parmesan cheese.

Bake until lightly golden and slightly puffy, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Makes 12 bites

Bolinhos de Bacalhau (Salt Cod Fritters)

1 pound salt cod
2 cups of mashed potatoes
2 tbsps of finely chopped parsley
2 large eggs
oil for frying

Soak salt cod overnight and during the morning, changing water three times. Drain, remove skin and any bones and cut in small chunks. The next step is poaching the cod.

Simmer a small onion, thinly sliced, with a bay leaf and 4 peppercorns in 2 cups of water. After 5 minutes, add the cod and 2 cups of water. When it simmers, cover the pan and remove from heat, so the cod doesn't toughen. You can keep the cod in this liquid in the refrigerator until ready to use it.

To form the bolinhos: drain the fish and flake it well into a bowl. Add 2 cups of mashed potatoes; beat two eggs with a pinch of salt and add them to the fish and potatoes. Some cooks like to separate the eggs, adding first the yolks, then the beaten whites.

Add the parsley (and if you want, 1 small chopped onion), salt and freshly grated pepper to taste. Wait about 1/2 hour to form the balls; they should be about 1 1/2 inches. Use good, fresh oil for frying (set deep-fryer temperature at 375 ). Dry in paper towels. Serve with a good batida and some very cold beer!