Empanada

I accompanied Baboo M and Anna Angara, the senatorial daughter, as they campaigned in Abra and Ilocos Sur. While in Vigan, I sneaked a fast snack of empanada at the plaza. Baboo bought a dozen which we had for a late snack. April 12 was the Friday the 13th for Baboo. She missed her sunset by five minutes and the crew at the Cabugao Beach Resort were either rude or clueless. They wanted to charge us “corkage fee” for the empanada. That destroyed her appetite. To assuage her, Anna, Laarni and I had a discussion on empanadas. Anna was surprisingly knowledgable, said that Batac empanada was tastier although she didn’t like the orange crust. I told them what were inside the Batac and Vigan empanadas and also mentioned that Batac is the original. Now I have to correct myself, having read Nordis Newspaper for this week.
Ma. Leoneza Rigonan subbed for the culinary column, Makan a la Pinoy, and talked aobut empanada.
Empanada came from the Spanish “empanar” which menas to wrap and coat in bread. According to Rigonan, Vigan was created in 1946 and Batac followed three years later. She didn’t tell us who the Earl of Sandwich was for Vigan but said that it was Glory Aduana Cocson who concocted the Batac empanada.
Vigan empanada use shredded cabbage, carrots, egg, shrimp and longganisa (this is the extra special as the special has no shrimps). It has a yellow and translucent crust because achuete is used.
Cocson used Batac longganisa, egg, grated papaya, monggo or mung beans and various seasonings. Batac is larger and uses food coloring for that crescent color. It is supposed to be Glory’s favorite color.
Candon offers the Batac longganisa because a Batac woman introduced it in the plaza three years ago, Jun Balbin said.
Empanada is deep-fried and you are offered a simple sauce of sukang Iloko and onions or shallots. Batac offers onions and garlic.
Rigonan, who is from Batac, offers the recipe:
Batac Empanada
Casing: rice flour, orange food coloring, water, oil
Filling: egg, Batac longganisa (or hotdog for those abroad, poor you), green papaya (blanched and squeezed with salt), parboiled monggo (take out the coating if you have all the time), salt, ground pepper, MSG (!?) and garlic

1) Do the crust using the basic pie crust technique but thinner.
2) For the filling, sauté the garlic and add grated papaya, monggo and seasonings. Cook till done.
3) Spoon out two to three tablespoons of filling and add slightly beaten egg and the minced longganisa into the crust.
4) Seal the crust into a crescent. Deep fry for 10 to 15 minutes.
5) The difference with Vigan is the crust siyempre and for filling, it is egg, Vigan longganisa, shredded cabbage and carrots.