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17/09/2009How to make empanadillas

How to make empanadillas Empanadillas are the must-haves snack food when you hold a party in Spain. Sandra Piddock shares her favourite tuna empanadillas recipe.

Pies and pastry don’t figure much in the Mediterranean diet, as you may have noticed. After all, pies are comfort food, aren’t they? Tucking into a huge wodge of meat and pastry when it’s hot out sounds more like uncomfortable food to me!
However, as with all rules, there is usually an exception that proves it, and this is where empanadillas come in. ‘Empana-what?’ I hear you ask. Read on to learn of yet another wonderful Spanish invention.

In the supermarket or bakery, you may spot something that looks like a miniature Cornish Pasty. This is an empanadilla and, if you haven’t tried them before, you’re in for a treat.

 Empanadillas can be eaten as tapas or a snack. Larger ones make a tasty main meal served with a large fresh salad. They can be baked, but the authentic Spanish method is to deep fry them, rather like Indian samosas or Oriental spring rolls. Ovens did not form part of the traditional Spanish kitchen, and the best Spanish recipes are the traditional ones.

Photo by crastino

Empanadillas can be filled with anything and everything, much like English pies, but the most popular fillings are spinach, (espinaca) – one of the few Spanish foods designed with vegetarians in mind - and tuna. (atun)

In northern Spain, you will find empanadillas filled with chicken, rabbit, sardines, eels, rabbit, beef or pork.

The below recipe is for tuna empanadillas, but experiment to find your own favourites. Any left over filling can be mixed with mayonnaise and spread on crusty bread for a tasty snack. This is my favourite recipe, of all the hundreds out there. Buen apetito!

Tuna empanadillas(Makes about 15)


Pastry
•         135 grm plain flour
•         50 grm butter or margarine
•         ¼ teaspoon salt
•         50 ml white wine

Filling
•         ½ small onion, chopped
•         100 grm tuna, flaked
•         1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
•         Large tomato, chopped, or use 2 tbsps tomato sauce or tomato Frito (puree)
•         2 tbsp chopped fresh or freeze dried parsley
•         1 tbsp lemon juice + zest
•         Pinch paprika
•         1 garlic clove, chopped
•         2 tbsp olive oil for  cooking filling, plus oil for frying prepared empanadillas

Photo by deramaenramaMix salt into flour and rub in butter as for short crust pastry. Work wine into mixture to make a dough, using a little water if necessary. Knead lightly, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Soften onion in oil and add garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add tomato, lemon juice and zest. Cook for 3 minutes, then mix in paprika, parsley and egg. Allow to cool.
Roll out pastry thinly, cutting into 3” diameter rounds with a cutter or glass, or you can buy a special empanadilla cutter from the Ferreteria (Hardware store) or the market. Place 1 tsp or so of mixture in the centre of each round, then fold in half, expelling the air and crimping with a fork. Deep fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes, turning when they rise to the top. Enjoy hot or cold.

17 September 2009

text: Sandra Piddock / Expatica

For more recipes and ideas, visit Sandra Piddock’s website, Simply Spanish Food.

Photos credit: visualpanic; Charles Haynes; crastino; deramaenrama



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