Empanada Gallega

2hr 25 mins

8 people

Prep Time

1hr + 20 mins

Cook Time

1hr 05 mins

Total Time

2hr 25 mins

This quick and easy empanada gallega recipe will show you how to make the classic Galician dish.

It’s origin like many other traditional Spanish dishes is a highly debatable topic, many say that pilgrims throughout the Camino de Santiago would carry the empanada, not to eat it but as a way of transporting food and preserving it for longer. What is clear is that empanada gallega has been around for a long time with written evidence as early as the 7^th century! Its link to Galicia is so strong that its even engraved on the Pórtico de la Gloria which is the front fascia of Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral which was built in the 12^th century. Serve your empanada gallega as a lunch dish or as part of a tapas selection with a green salad and a cold glass of albariño.

Ingredients
Method

For the filling:
100ml olive oil
3 red peppers, finely sliced
2 onions, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
300g bonito tuna in oil, keep the oil for cooking the peppers
2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
For the dough:
500g plain flour
20g salt
6g fresh yeast
165ml warm water
100ml oil from cooking the filling
1 egg yolk for glazing

Start by making the empanada filling. In a large frying pan or casserole dish, heat the olive oil and oil from the tuna and add the sliced onions, peppers and bay leaf and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a further 10 minutes. Drain the mix, keeping the oil for the dough and allow the mix to cool down. Add the tuna flakes and chopped hard boiled eggs and season with salt and pepper.
To make the empanada dough, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Crumble the fresh yeast into the warm water and mix well. Connect the dough hook to the mixer and on a low to medium speed, start adding the warm water and yeast mix until fully incorporated, followed by the oil. Allow to mix on the same speed for 10 minutes. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and knead for a couple of minutes. Dust the dough lightly with flour, place in the mixing bowl and cover with cling film. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/356°F/Gas 4.
Knead the dough for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece into a 35x25cm rectangle of 3mm thickness. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place one of the rectangles on the base. Spoon the pepper and tuna mix, leaving a 1.5cm border on all sides. Place the other rolled rectangle on top of the mix and with the help of your fingers fold both edges in, pinching the dough with your fingers to seal and make the border pronounced. Use a sharp knife to cut a whole in the centre of the empanada to let the steam go out. You can use the leftovers of the dough to create some decorations for the empanada. Brush the empanada with an egg yolk mixed with a splash of water and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Ingredients

For the filling:
100ml olive oil
3 red peppers, finely sliced
2 onions, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
300g bonito tuna in oil, keep the oil for cooking the peppers
2 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
For the dough:
500g plain flour
20g salt
6g fresh yeast
165ml warm water
100ml oil from cooking the filling
1 egg yolk for glazing

Method

Start by making the empanada filling. In a large frying pan or casserole dish, heat the olive oil and oil from the tuna and add the sliced onions, peppers and bay leaf and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a further 10 minutes. Drain the mix, keeping the oil for the dough and allow the mix to cool down. Add the tuna flakes and chopped hard boiled eggs and season with salt and pepper.
To make the empanada dough, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Crumble the fresh yeast into the warm water and mix well. Connect the dough hook to the mixer and on a low to medium speed, start adding the warm water and yeast mix until fully incorporated, followed by the oil. Allow to mix on the same speed for 10 minutes. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and knead for a couple of minutes. Dust the dough lightly with flour, place in the mixing bowl and cover with cling film. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/356°F/Gas 4.
Knead the dough for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece into a 35x25cm rectangle of 3mm thickness. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place one of the rectangles on the base. Spoon the pepper and tuna mix, leaving a 1.5cm border on all sides. Place the other rolled rectangle on top of the mix and with the help of your fingers fold both edges in, pinching the dough with your fingers to seal and make the border pronounced. Use a sharp knife to cut a whole in the centre of the empanada to let the steam go out. You can use the leftovers of the dough to create some decorations for the empanada. Brush the empanada with an egg yolk mixed with a splash of water and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Add To Basket

Aquitania Albarino Bernon 2017
- Buy 6 save 5%
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£10.90
Arroyabe Bonito Tuna in Olive Oil Large
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£22.00

Chef's Profile

Javier De La Hormaza

Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier's passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.

Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco