Empanada de Atun

Empanada española

Carlos’ grandma makes this and it is just delicious. It is a bit easier in Spain because you don’t have to make “Tomate frito”, but the recipe I made today is my best yet. It tastes almost like Abuela’s!

Filling:

• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 can (6 oz or 160 gr.) tomato paste
• 3/4 can water
• 1 1/2  tbs sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Saute onion, pepper, and garlic until soft. Add tomato, sugar, salt and water and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Set aside. It is important to use tomato paste for this so that the mixture isn’t too liquid. That was a problem with previous empanadas I had made in Denmark.

• 2 eggs hard boiled
• 2 cans (normal us size or 180 gr) tuna fish (you can also use beef or chicken).

Mash eggs and add tuna. Add tomato mixture and stir. Add more salt if necessary.

Abuela’s bread recipe for Empanada

• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1/2 tbs sugar
• 15 gr. yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• aprox 3-4 cups flour

Warm the milk and oil. Add sugar and mix. Add yeast and stir. Let sit till you see a few bubbles. Add flour and salt until it is only slightly sticky. Because of the oil it doesn’t stick to your hands like bread does. Let rise until doubled in size. Divide into two parts. I usually make the bottom a little thicker than the top. This helps when pinching the sides together. Roll the first ball of dough out on wax paper. Place wax paper in a baking tray. Add the filling layer and roll out the other part of the dough on a clean counter top. Fold into 4ths and unfold over the baking pan. Pinch the sides of the bottom and the top layer of dough together to seal them. it is important for keeping the filling inside.