Empanada

We bring you today a nice recipe, empanada, a typical dish of the north-west part of Spain. It is normally eaten day after to be cooked. There is two versions of this dish, the fish based and the meat based, we are going to be cooked the fish type but not the most typical version, which requires conger, we will use tuna.

For the meat type of empanada you have to use chorizo, and pork filet sliced.

Ingredients

• onion
• carrot
• red pepper
• zucchini
• tomatoes
• tuna in a can
• Base for salty cakes
• Egg 
• Ready made pie dough, 400g

Preparation

Slice finely the onion, carrot and red pepper and put it to saute in a pan with a bit of oil, salt and pepper. After few minutes add the zucchini, the reason is we want an even cook of the vegetables.

Add the grated tomatoes, or tomato from a can, we don´t want a sauce but the tomato to be the element which brings all the ingredients together. If you are using natural tomatoes or natural canned tomatoes, add a bit of sugar and a bit of salt, always same amount, as to compensate for the acidity of the tomato.

Add a big can of tuna, use tuna in tomato juice or with water, not with oil, although it tends to taste better, for this dish will feel too heavy. Keep in mind to use a good tuna, the difference is easy noticeable in this dish.

Divide the dough in two equal parts, we have used a ready made dough, and stretch both parts to same size with the help of a cooking roller and flour. Place a baking paper in a tray and put one the halfs. Add the tuna mixture leaving two fingers space in the edges of the dough.

Close the dough with the other half and roll the edges together as to achieve a good thick line. Make few small holes so the steam won't build too much inside. Batter an egg, and with a brush paint the top of the dough. We took the freedom to add this silhouettes with a bit of remaining dough.

Place it to the oven and bake for 30 min at 200°C till it starts to gets brownish. 

Try it next day, it tastes even better!!

Salut!

Mr. South