Pastel de Feira — Market-Stall Fried Pastries

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cachaça or vodka
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ⅓ cup pitted green olives, chopped
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt, cachaça, oil, and water into a firm dough and knead 8 minutes until smooth. The alcohol is not for flavor — it inhibits gluten and evaporates fast, which is what gives pastel its blistered bubbles. Rest it 30 minutes.
2. Brown the beef with the onion, add garlic, paprika, and cumin, and cook until dry. Stir in the olives and parsley, season hard, and cool completely.
3. Roll the dough as thin as you possibly can — you should nearly see your hand through it. A pasta roller on its second-thinnest setting is ideal.
4. Cut into 5-by-7-inch rectangles, spoon filling and a little mozzarella onto one half, fold over, and seal the edges by pressing with a fork dipped in water.
5. Fry at 375°F (190°C) for 90 seconds a side, spooning hot oil over the tops so they inflate. They should balloon, blister, and turn pale gold.
6. Drain upright on a rack and eat within minutes, with hot sauce and a cold drink.