Empanada Pie

Photo: flickr user sleepyneko

Ingredients

2 cups flour

teaspoon salt or to taste

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter or

2 tablespoons lard or shortening

About 1/3 cup ice-cold water

cup thinly sliced onion

1 cup thinly sliced green pepper

1 hot green chili pepper, chopped (optional)

cup pitted green olives, sliced into rounds

1 cup raisins

cup cider vinegar

1 cup chopped fresh or stewed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

teaspoon ground cinnamon

teaspoon salt or to taste

3 cups cooked, diced chicken

1 egg, beaten

Pastry

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in 6 tablespoons butter and lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually stir in water until dough forms a ball; do not overmix.

Preheat oven to 4250F and grease a deep 9-inch pie plate or ovenproof dish. Roll out 2/3 of the pastry and use to line bottom of pie plate. Pierce well with a fork. Roll remaining pastry to 1/8-inch thickness for top crust. (Pastry can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until filling is ready.)

FillingIn medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, melt remaining butter. Add onion and pepper; saute for 3 minutes or until softened. Add olives, raisins, vinegar, tomatoes and tomato paste and cook 5 minutes. Season with cinnamon and salt; stir in chicken. Spread chicken mixture in prepared pie plate and top with pastry. Flute edges, cut decorative slits in top, and brush with beaten egg. Bake on bottom shelf of oven 30 minutes or until browned.