Conch Empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 pound conch meat, tenderized and diced (tenderize conch by pounding with a mallet or meat tenderizer until fairly flat, it takes some vigorous pounding)

• 1 1/2 cups sweet onion, diced

• 1/2 cup sweet red pepper, diced

• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

• 1/2 cup green olives, sliced

• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons oregano

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 cups diced potatoes, lightly fried until golden brown in canola oil Empanada shells

• 2 eggs, beaten 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Put evoo into saute pan, add onions, pepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Add conch meat, saute for 3 minutes, add remaining ingredients except potatoes. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool before filling empanada shells.

• Gently stretch empanada shells until at least 1/2 size larger. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling. Fold, seal and roll edges closed, pinching as you roll. Beat 2 eggs, brush on empanadas before baking. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Makes about 20 empanadas.