Empanadas de Atun

• portions: Makes 15-20, serves 5-6

Ingrédients

3 cups all purpose flour

6 oz unsalted butter (slightly softened)

1 egg

¼-½ cup of water / milk

½ tsp salt

15 oz tuna fish, drained of the can water(about 3 cans or 425 g)

2 bell peppers, sliced

1 small yellow onion, sliced

½ cup of olives, sliced

1-2 tbsp capers

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the dough, mix the flour of ½ tsp salt together. Add the butter and mix with a fork until it’s well distributed. Next, add the egg and water / milk in small batches, mixing until a clumpy dough forms.

Split the dough into large balls, as many as you need, and flatten them slightly into the shape of disks. You can use the dough now or refrigerate it for 1-2 days. When ready to use, roll out the dough into thin sheets and cut out round disks for your empanadas. This is where you’ll determine the size of your empanadas and how many you make, so keep this in mind.

Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan over medium heat, along with the onions, peppers, garlic, and paprika. Cook until the onions and peppers are soft and starting to brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Add the tuna and mix thoroughly, cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the oregano, sliced olives, capers, and lemon juice. Mix well and add salt & pepper to taste, cooking for a few more minutes to combine everything. Lastly, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool down before using it to fill the empanadas.

Gather your empanada discs and filling. Place a spoonful of the tuna fish filling in the center of a disc, a little bit less than you think will fit. It may take a few to get calibrated on the right filling amount. To close the empanadas, you can twist and fold the edges with your fingers, or use a fork to press down. Anything is fine as long as it’s sealed. Do this with all of your discs, storing the leftover filling in the fridge for future use.

Chill the shaped empanadas in the fridge for at least one hour before baking, as this will help keep them sealed. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush each of the empanadas with egg wash. Bake the empanadas for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. This time will vary depending on the size of your empanadas, so keep an eye on it.

Allow the empanadas to cool for a little bit after coming out of the oven, as the filling will be extremely hot. Serve the empanadas hot with dipping sauce of choice.

Notes

Empanada de Atun, meaning ‘tuna wrapped in bread’ is a traditional dish from Galicia in the northwest of Spain, baked into one large pie. Empanadas de atun, the smaller individual pies, are popular around Lent time in Latin America. This recipe details the dough ingredients, as well as the tuna fish filling. When I made this, I was left with quite a bit of filling remaining, so either scale down the filling quantities or eat the leftovers over rice or on tostadas. Combine these with any dipping sauce of your choice.