Empanadillas de Atún

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide frying pan
• •Small saucepan for eggs
• •Fork for crimping
• •Deep frying pan or low casserole
• •Kitchen thermometer
• •Wire rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the eggs

   Put the eggs in a small pan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Cool them under cold water, peel, and chop them small. Keep them aside; they go in after the sofrito cools a little, so they stay tender instead of rubbery.

2. 2

   Cook the sofrito

   Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, red pepper, and salt, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and dark gold at the edges. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the pimentón off the heat so it smells sweet but never scorches.

   Keep the heat patient here. A pale, wet onion gives you a flat filling and a leaking empanadilla.
3. 3

   Thicken the tomato

   Add the grated tomato or crushed tomato to the pan and cook uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sofrito is thick enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a clean path for a second. Taste it. Add the sugar only if the tomato tastes sharp. This dryness is what keeps the pastry sealed in the oil.

4. 4

   Mix the filling

   Take the pan off the heat and let the sofrito cool for 10 minutes. Fold in the drained tuna, chopped egg, olives, and black pepper. Break the tuna into flakes, not paste. Taste for salt; canned tuna and olives bring plenty, so don't go throwing more in blindly. Pésalo, no lo adivines, and taste it too.

5. 5

   Fill and seal

   Lay the pastry discs on the counter and put 1 level tablespoon of filling in the center of each one, about 25g. Moisten the edge lightly with water, fold into a half-moon, press out any trapped air, and crimp firmly with a fork. If filling squeezes out, you used too much. No shame. Nadie nace sabiendo.

6. 6

   Fry golden

   Pour olive oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of 2cm and heat to 175C. Fry the empanadillas in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until blistered and golden. Keep the oil steady; too cool and they drink oil, too fierce and the pastry darkens before the seam has set.

7. 7

   Drain and serve

   Lift the empanadillas onto a rack or paper-lined tray and let them settle for 5 minutes. The filling will be hot and the pastry finishes crisping as it rests. Serve warm, or let them cool for a picnic. They should be golden, sealed, and light in the hand.

Chef Tips

• •Use tuna in olive oil if you can. If all you have is tuna in water, drain it hard and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the filling, or the center will taste dry.
• •Spanish obleas, the ready-made pastry rounds sold for empanadillas, are the easiest and the right shape. Away from Spain, cut 12cm rounds from thin shortcrust pastry. For frying, don't use puff pastry.
• •The filling must be cool and thick before you fold. Warm filling softens the pastry, and wet filling opens the seam in the oil. Crimp them tight. The fork is doing work.
• •You can bake them if you need to: brush with beaten egg and bake at 200C for 18 to 22 minutes. They will be drier and less blistered than fried ones, but still useful for a packed lunch.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Bring it close to room temperature before filling so it spreads without tearing the pastry.
• •Fill and crimp the empanadillas up to 6 hours ahead, then keep them covered in the refrigerator in a single layer.
• •Fried empanadillas keep well at room temperature for a few hours, which is why they belong in picnic baskets. Reheat leftovers in a 180C oven for 8 to 10 minutes, not in the microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 45g)