1cup(240 ml) warm water, plus 1-2 tablespoons more
1½cups(150 g) shredded pizza mozzarella cheese
vegetable oil for frying, enough to be ¾-1 inch (2 cm) deep in a heavy-bottomed pot
Instructions
Place the masa flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Add the Salsa Lizano (or alternative flavouring) plus 1 cup of the warm water and mix until all the flour is moistened (use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix the dough).
Roll a test portion of the dough (the size of a golf ball) into a ball and flatten it to about ½-inch (1 cm). If cracks form at the edge of the patty, the dough is too dry. Add another tablespoon of water, mix well, and test it again. If it's still making small cracks, add another tablespoon of water. The dough consistency is right when no cracks appear at the edge of the flattened patty.
Return the test patty to the rest of the dough, and roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into quarters, then each quarter into 3 even pieces, to form 12 slices. Roll each slice into a ball and cover the balls with a plastic wrap or a damp towel to keep them from drying out.
To form the empanadas, cut apart a heavy-duty freezer bag so you have two flat pieces of plastic. Set a dough ball between the two sheets of plastic, and press it flat using a tortilla press or pressing down firmly and evenly on the ball with a flat-bottomed pot or pan. Press the dough into a flat tortilla disk about 4-4¼ inches (10 cm) in diameter.
Peel the top layer of plastic off the tortilla/empanada shell, then invert it onto your palm and carefully peel off the bottom sheet of plastic.
Holding the empanada shell in the palm of your hand, place about 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheese in the center of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half, over the cheese, and pinch the open edges together, tucking in any stray strands of cheese so they are not caught between the pressed seam. Press the seam together gently but firmly, so it doesn't open up during frying.
Place the empanadas onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and cover them with a damp tea towel (well wrung out) or plastic wrap. At this point, the empanadas can be fried immediately or refrigerated for several hours before frying them.
Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed cooking pot or dutch oven. Heat it until it reaches 350℉ (180℃) on a cooking thermometer. Carefully lower 3 or 4 empanadas, one at a time, into the hot oil. They should bubble vigorously. Fry them until they are golden-brown on both sides, flipping them over several times. This should take about 3-4 minutes in total.
Remove the fried empanadas with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Fry the rest in two more batches.
If an empanada seam should come apart a bit and the cheese leaks out, remove that empanada, scoop out any fried bits of cheese from the oil, and continue frying the rest.
Serve the empanadas immediately, while still warm, with more Salsa Lizano, fresh tomato salsa, or your favourite dipping sauce.
Notes
Salsa Lizano is a savoury Costa Rican brown sauce. You can substitute Worcestershire sauce, brown sauce or steak sauce, or (for gluten-free) use gluten-free soy sauce + balsamic vinegar.If you don't have a thermometer to measure the oil's temperature, you can test it with a wooden spoon. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is quite hot - rippling slightly on the bottom of the pot. Hold the handle end of a wooden spoon down into the oil in the center of the pot. If small bubbles flare up all around the handle, the oil is hot enough to fry.The frying oil can be re-used up to 4 or 5 times for other frying, as long as it is strained. After frying, pour the oil, while it is still warm, through a sieve lined with a paper towel into a spouted measuring bowl or pot. It will take a while to drip through. Discard the solids and pour the strained oil into a jar. Let it cool, close with a lid, and store in a cool, dark place for several months.Variation:Fill the empanadas with a heaping spoonful of a savoury refried bean mixture, instead of the cheese.