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Eggcellent recipes to get stuck into this winter

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Egg and Pork Empanadillas

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tblsps olive oil

400g pork mince

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsps cumin

2 tsps smoked paprika

1 tblsp tomato paste

1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

100g jarred whole piquillo peppers, drained and chopped

2 tblsps flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped

4 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry thawed

2 eggs beaten

Tomato chutney, to serve

METHOD

1 Heat 1 tblsp of olive oil in a medium frypan. Add the pork and stir with a wooden spoon to break up the lumps. Cook until brown all over. Add the oregano, cumin and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring further, for 2 minutes. Tip pork mixture into a bowl and set aside.

2 In the same pan, heat remaining olive oil and add chopped onion, garlic and piquillo peppers. Cook, stirring over low heat, for 3 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent.

3 Return pork to the pan with parsley and stir to combine. Season to taste and set aside to cool, then add chopped eggs and stir gently to combine.

4 Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced. Spread pastry sheets on a work surface and, using a 12cm ring cutter, cut 4 circles from each sheet. Place heaped tablespoons of pork and egg mixture in the centre of each circle. Brush the edges with the beaten egg, then press edges together to enclose the filling and crimp the edges to seal.

5 Arrange empanadillas on a lined baking sheet, brush them with beaten egg and, using a sharp knife, make a slit in the top of each one. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

6 Serve warm with tomato chutney or sauce of choice.