In this flavourful twist on a classic comfort dish, chef and community food advocate Stephanie Baryluk brings Northern ingredients to the table with her Whitefish Empanadas with Charred Tomato Salsa. Flaky, golden pastry pockets are filled with tender, seasoned whitefish — a local staple — blended with aromatic herbs and spices. The empanadas are paired with a bright, smoky charred tomato salsa, where blistered tomatoes, onions, and peppers come together for a balance of sweetness, acidity, and heat.
Whitefish Empanadas with Charred Tomato Salsa
Ingredients:
For Empanadas
- 21⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 tsp. salt
- 1 stick of butter chilled and cut into small piece
- 2 eggs divided, one egg to seal the empanadas
- 1/4 cup ice cold water
For Empanada Filling
- 1.5 cups russet potato, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 1⁄2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1⁄2 cup green onion, sliced
- 2 cups cooked whitefish
- 1 tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Charred Tomato Salsa
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 red onion
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup green onions
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Season whitefish with salt and pepper and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Set aside and let cool. In a medium pan, sauté onions, garlic and potatoes over medium heat until soft. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and Old Bay. In a large mixing bowl combine cooked fish, potato mixture, green onions, and mayonnaise and set aside to chill.
- In a food processor, mix flour and salt. Add butter, egg and cold water to the flour mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap dough with plastic. Chill for 30 minutes to one hour. Remove dough from the fridge and on a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a thin sheet and cut discs using a large biscuit cutter. Place approximately one tbsp. of filling into each empanada. Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges with a fork or your fingers. In a separate bowl, beat one egg and brush the top of the empanadas with beaten egg to help seal. Preheat oven to 400°F and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve with charred tomato salsa.
For Charred Tomato Salsa
Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Place all vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until charred. Set aside vegetables in a bowl and allow to cool. Peel off and discard charred skins, as well as all seeds from the jalapenos. Cut tomatoes into quarters. Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend to desired chunkiness.
