The empanada is a typical galician dish (northwest region of Spain). There are a big variety of fillings, always made with regional ingredients both meat (pig, beef, rabbit…) and fish(tuna, cod, sardine…) along with veggies and also seafood (octopus, cockles, mussels). It is the perfect snack.
For the Filling:
-2 Medium Onions.
-1 Red Bell Pepper.
-3 Garlic Cloves.
-4 Ripened Roma Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce (aprox. 200 gr.=7 Oz.)
-500 gr. (1 Lb.) Fresh Tuna or Canned Tuna (aprox. 3 cans).
-A pinch of Sweet Paprika.
-Spanish Olive Oil.
-Salt.
-Pepper.
Chop the veggies except the tomatoes and fry lightly in a large pan with olive oil, meanwhile heat water in a pot and add the tomatoes till the skin is torn (this makes the tomatoes easy to peel and they are juicier). Meanwhile chop the onions, the red bell pepper and the garlic, poach them till they are soft. Dice the tuna, season it and place it in the pan, fry lightly mixing it with the veggies. Add the peeled tomatoes (or the tomato sauce) and saute till the mixture is soft and soupy. Finally add a pinch of sweet paprika to color it a bit.
Let the filling cool and drain. ( reserve the liquid).
For the Dough:
-500 gr. (1 Lb.) of All-purpose Flour.
-5 Cups of Warm Water.
-12 Tablespoons of the reserved Saute Oil.(from the filling)
-1 Teaspoon of Salt.
-1 Teaspoon of Sweet Paprika.
-2 Teaspoons of Dry Yeast.
Place the flour in a bowl and make a hole in the middle and add all the other ingredients there. Blend together with a wooden spoon, place it on a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, not sticky. Shape the dough into a ball and let it settle for 30 minutes before using it.
Divide the dough ball in 2 parts (one for the base and the other for the lid). Stretch out both parts with a rolling pin in a floured surface in a round or square shape, to a thickness of 2 mm. (approx. 0,5 in).
Finishing the Empanada:
Place the bottom layer in a pie pan or on the oven rack over wax paper, spread out the drained filling equally and cover it with the lid and close it by rolling up the edges. Make a little hole in the middle of the lid and poke it with a fork. Decorate the lid with the excess dough (if there is any) and paint the lid with the saute oil from the filling.
Put it in the preheated oven and cook it at 180º (350 F) for 15-20 minutes or till you notice the dough is cooked.
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