Empanada Gallega

     

     Patri of the blog, Asi Son Los Cosas, was our September 2012 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she decided to tempt us with one of her family’s favorite recipes for Empanadas! We were given two dough recipes to choose from and encouraged to fill our Empanadas as creatively as we wished!

     Empanada traces its origin to Galicia and Portugal. Traditionally they are made in a form of a pie which is afterwards cut in pieces. Nowadays, however, other variations exist – like “calzone-style” big pies or individual “turn-over style” small pies (which – when made in on oval shape, looks similar to Russian “pirozhki”!). 

       The fillings of empanada usually include tuna, chorizo or sardines but it can also contain cod and pork loin. Since my husband is not fond of tuna and pork and since we had brandada with salted cod the same day, I decided to choose ground beef for my pie. I wanted the filling to have “a Spanish hint” so I added bell pepper, tomatoes, black olives, paprika and lots of parsley. I wish I had some anchovies in my cupboard – they would have made the whole thing “undoubtedly Spanish”!

     Anyway, the pie was very good: a juicy, hearty filling wrapped in bread-like paprika-scented dough.  What a great way to create Galician atmosphere at home!

Ingredients:

Dough
500 gm plain flour
1 cup warm water
100 ml olive oil
30 gm fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 egg

Filling
450 gm minced beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
100 gm black olives
1 tsp sweet paprika
A bunch of parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1. For the dough, sift the flour into a big bowl and make a well in the middle. Rub the yeast in with your fingers. In a small bowl, mix the water and the salt. Using your fingers or a wooden spoon, start adding the water and mixing it with the flour-yeast mixture. Keep on working with your fingers or spoon until you have added enough water and all the flour has been incorporated and you have a messy ball of dough. On a clean counter top, knead the dough for approximately 8 minutes. Clean and oil the big bowl you used for mixing and place the kneaded dough in it. Cover it with a napkin and keep it in a warm, draught-free place for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.
2. For the filling, heat olive oil in a pan and sauté onion till soft. Add garlic, followed by minced meat and stir-fry for 5 – 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper, tomatoes and spices. Cook for 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat, add the chopped olives and parsley. Check the seasoning and allow the filling to cool for at least half an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line and grease you baking tray. Turn the dough into a floured counter and cut it in half. Cover one half with the napkin to prevent drying. Spread the other half of the dough using a rolling pin and making it a rectangle or a round depending on the shape of your oven pan. Cover the base and sides of the prepared pan with the dough. Using the rolling pin or a knife, cut the extra dough. Place the filling.
4. Take the other half of the dough and spread it out to the same or less thinness of the base. Using your fingers, join bottom and top dough, and then make a hole in the middle of the top layer. Use left-over dough to decorate the empanada with rounds, bows or lines. Prick the top layer, brush it with a lightly beaten egg and place it in the oven for about 45 minutes or until golden in colour.

Notes:

        Empanadas are better eaten the day of baking, but will stay fresh for a day more if stored in a cool place or in the fridge  (though the dough will become gummy). You can always re-heat it in a hot oven for about 5 minutes.