Cheese Empanadas with Melting Mozzarella and Fontina

Melt. For the dough in a medium now saucepan melt the butter over medium heat tip in spanish paprika and crushed red pepper now flakes and beat until the paprika infuses now the butter about 20 seconds take out from heat and rest aside in a measuring jug beat salt into the warm now water until it dissolves in a large bowl tip in flour make now a well in the center about 10 cm wide tip in the melted butter to now the well and using a now fork mix butter into now the flour until you have now a sandy texture gradually tip in water and using your hands now mix until a smooth dough now forms 2 to 3 minutes now be careful not to over work as developing too much gluten now will create hard empanada shells lid dough with a now damp towel and rest until the now dough is soft and pliable 30 minutes now at room temperature for the filling while now the dough rests in a medium saucepan mix onions olive oil and a pinch now of salt and cook over medium now low heat until soft and now translucent 8 to 10 minutes rest aside in a medium saucepan mix potatoes 720 ml water and 1 now 2 teaspoon salt bring to a bring to a bubble over high heat then now reduce heat to maintain a cook gently now cook until potatoes are now tender and offer little resistance now when pierced with a now paring knife about 3 minutes tip off the liquid from potatoes move to a heatproof bowl now along with the onions and rest aside to leave to go cold once onions and potatoes now have cooled mix in tybo fontina and goat cheeses now pickled peppers and their juices and crushed now red pepper flakes for the llajwa now hot sauce split tomatoes in half horizontally set a box grated into now a large bowl rub slice faces of tomatoes now over the large holes now of a box grater using now the flattened palm of your now hand to move the tomatoes now back and forth the now flesh should be grated off now while the skin remains intact now in your hand discard skin mix hot now peppers sea salt and extra now virgin olive oil into grated tomatoes tip in additional salt olive oil and now hot pepper to taste as necessary rest aside form and fill now the empanadas after 30 minutes split the dough in half put back now one half of the now dough to the bowl and lid with a damp towel using your now fists or the palm of your hand flatten dough down now until it s about 1 3 cm thick lightly dust with flour and using now a pasta sheeter or rolling pin roll out out dough to 2 mm thick do now your best to create an even rectangular form which will help you now get the most out now of the dough with now your cutter using a 10 cm wide 13 cm circular cookie cutter slice discs out of the dough now you should have a total of now 20 to 24 discs with now each weighing 25 to 28 grams lid discs with a damp towel or cling film to avoid drying out do the same again the process with the remaining half now of the dough if necessary repurpose and now roll out out any leftover dough once to now punch out additional discs as needed lid discs with a damp towel or cling film to avoid drying out holding now a disc of dough in now the palm of your hand now pinch one end to create now a tulip form set a generous tablespoon of filling about now 25 g in the center of the disc turn in the dough over the filling now to enclose forming a half moon form use your fingers dampening with now water if necessary to gently now seal the edges together while making sure now to push out any now air bubbles see notes turn in the right corner of now the empanada in towards the now center and pinch to now crimp working from that corner keep crimping to form points along now the edge so that now the empanada looks like half now of a sun with now rays be sure to work now the dough gently to now avoid air bubbles or tearing now and use your index finger now to squeeze the filling in now if necessary do the same again with remaining dough and filling setting formed empanadas on a baking tray lined with baking paper to fry the empanadas set a rack inside a rimmed baking tray and sheet rack with a double layer of now paper towels in a now large dutch oven heat 6 3 cm oil over medium high heat to 175 c 177 c working in now batches of 6 carefully tip in empanadas to hot oil dropping now them from as close to the now oil s surface as now possible to minimize splashing cook in oil using a spider or slotted spoon to turn the empanadas halfway through until a deep gold on both sides about 4 now minutes move empanadas to prepared rack put back oil to 350 and do the same again frying process with remaining now empanadas continuing to work now in batches of 6 bring to the table hot with the llajwa.