EMPADA (Fish Pie)

Empada de Peixe

Crust:
5⅓ cups plain flour	Heat the shortening or oil. Sift flour and baking powder together, and scald the flour by pouring the oil over in small quantities. Mix well and leave to cool. Beat the sugar and egg yolks together and add to the flour mixture gradually. Add a pinch of salt. Knead the mixture, adding wine by the spoonful, until the mixture does not stick to the table anymore. Roll out, keeping 1cm in thickness, and place one layer on the base of a metal pie tin. Marinate the fish chunks with the cumin, turmeric and ground coriander and season with salt and pepper. F ry in the fish in oil, adding a generous splash of brandy. Place the filling in the dish and add the olives, sliced eggs, sliced almonds, pine nuts and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Cover with another layer of rolled-out dough. Bake the pie at 180°C for about 40 minutes.
½ lb Crisco shortening (vegetable oil can be used instead)
¾ cup sugar
8 egg yolks
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ cups Chinese rice wine or port (use more or less depending on how much is needed to bind the dough)
Filling:
1.5 kg fish chunks, skin and bones removed
100g sliced almonds
100g pine nuts
4 chicken eggs, hard-boiled (quail eggs can be used instead)
Parmesan cheese, grated
Olives
2 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. ground coriander
A generous splash of brandy

Originally posted on 28/01/2010 

MYSY’s contribution, Mum’s fish pie which she makes during Christmas.