Tuna Empanadillas with Tomato & Onion Salsa
I have been sorting out the new shelves. All the books and magazines that have travelled Greece, UK, Norway, back to UK to Greece and some of them were even on the other side of Atlantic are finally home.
I take few magazines at night to bed and go thru them and with post it notes, I marked which one caught my fancy.
There are many of them, new cuisine, fusion, classic, something worth trying.
One of them is Argentinian empanada.
Why?
Because I grew up eating empanada too, but in the Philippines the filling is mince meat, with carrots, peas even with cheese.But I never even made one of the Filipino version because I find it so intimidating.
So maybe it is about time to face that fear and this one on the Brit magazine Food & Travel Aug/Sept 2005, has tuna for filling.
The empanadilla – which means literally ‘dough-wrapped’ – is Spanish version of the Cornish pasty.
Another British food I love!
The name comes from the Spanish verb, empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanadas were originally from Galicia, Spain (oh the Spanish influence of Filipino cuisine) and the Galician empanada is normally filled with cod fish or chicken.
Spanish immigrants have brought empanada to Latin America and to my country as well.
Empanada varies from one country to another.
As I mentioned ours is with minced meat, raisins, carrots even with cheese.
Chilean empanadas contains more onions, all onion filling is called pequenes.
Peruvian eat theirs with lime juice.
Bolivian empanadas are called, salteñas. Made with beef or chicken, Salteñas usually contain potatoes, peas and carrot.
Mexican empanadas are most commonly a desert or breakfast item and tend to contain a variety of sweetened fillings; these include pumpkin, sweet potato, and cream
In Venezuela it’s ground beef and cheese or seafood at the coastal areas.
Brazilian use palm heart.
Am sure there are endless ways of filling up empanada.. but this one I made is with a good quality tuna.
Ingredients:
PASTRY
190ml cold water
25g butter
2tbsp olive oil
225g plain flour
1 large egg beaten
1/4 tsp salt
olive oil for frying
FILLING
225g jar Albacore or high quality tuna in extra virgin olive oil
1 large onions finely chopped
2 coves garlic finely chopped
1 red pepper deseeded and finely chopped
1 large tomato skinned, deseeded and finely chopped
salt and pepper
SALSA
2 small red onions finely chopped
juice of half lemon
2 ripe tomato deseeded and chopped
8 black olives sliced length ways from their stones
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
PASTRY
1) Put water, butter, oil and salt into medium saucepan and bring to boil
2) Tip in all but a handful of flour and beat with wooden spoon.
3) Beat the egg into mixture until well amalgamated and quite firm.
4) Tip into floured work surface and knead remaining flour to form a soft pliable dough.
5) Cut into 16 evenly size pieces, put in a bowl and cover
6) Chill in the fridge while the filling is being made.
FILLING
1) Drain tuna over a frying pan to catch the oil, put tuna aside.
2)Fry the onion, garlic and red pepper in tuna oil over a gentle heat.
3) Add tomato and fry for 4 mins.
4) Season and tip into a cold bowl.
5) When mixture is cold, add the tuna.
EMPANADILLAS
1) Roll out the dough balls into 13cm circles.
2) Brush half of the circumference with a little beaten egg.
3) Put some filling on one half of the circle and fold over the other half to form a semi circle.
4) Seal the edge firmly and mark with the tines of a fork.
5) Chill while others are made.
6) Heat oil and fry the empanadillas, until puffed and golden.
7) Drain on kitchen paper.
SALSA
1) Mix the onion with lemon juice leave it for 5 mins.
2) Drain off the juice before adding the remaining ingredients.
Since this is my first time doing empanadas, the hardest part was the fluttering of the edges. Celia Kusinera said its a matter of practise and patience. Oh dear my first ones some of the filling spilled out, once fried I ate them.
So I stopped frying and carefully spent time sealing them properly.
Also I suggest make the salsa ahead because it was so tempting to eat them as soon they come out.
While looking at these beautiful empanadillas, I suddenly had this pang of guilt that I did well with an Argentinian one and never even tried the Filipino version. Soon and I already have Celia’s recipe.
Fantastic for snacks or amuse bouche. Salsa as my friend said had a Mediterranean flavour. I actually love the filling, maybe I should try the Filipino recipe soon.
Beautiful indeed! I’m afraid i would be just like you, eat them as soon as they’re ready! Love empanadas. I’ve never made them myself yet but will soon try. Some catering company a friend hired for his 30th here make them so yummy. I ate nothing but empanadas all night at the party. oink. oink.
I’ll ask Celia for a copy of her recipe nga…
Empanada…kulang na lang yung amoy at lasa! Your pics are really really great. And food na hindi ko ma-reach.
mmmm looks soo nice and tempting and not really hard to make as i thought it would be
You’re not only great in cooking…you’re also a superb photographer 🙂 everything is byutiful talaga. By the way, what camera are you using?
I love these things and can eat dozens at a go which is why I avoid them! You’re pure evil … I now have an urge to go get me some!
Ah cool Sha. One of my good friends here in Boston is from Argentina and sometimes makes them, but I never got her recipe! They look yummie!!
ang galing sha! me background pa from each countries. i tried baking pinoy empanada, it was a success but somehow i never tried making again. di ba you just flutter the edges with a fork? here, they sell empanada in commercial varieties with different flavors like teriyaki, curry etc.
naku! day!we definitely have the same cravings! i just remembered i used to help out an aunt making these and siopao during my high school days! but..i don’t have the recipe..now i do! and with an A! [read:attitude, arte,ahem,aba almusal na ata..tulog na nga ako!hahaha:)]
ate u mean u have to mix the flour with the boiling water, salt, butter and oil?
I love the chicken empanaditas back home. I prefer the small ones that the big empanada ones because they were crunchier.
There was this bakery in Cebu that does them really good. I forgot which one was it.
Anyway, your tuna creation looks lovely, as usual. I’ll make sure I just check your blog when I am hungry. I’d already be full without eating. Good on the diet, lol.
that dough is very different from all the other empanada versions i’ve tried — sorta like making cream puffs! no wonder they look so light. gotta try yours sometime. what a coincidence ha! food blogger esp again? LOL.
i can feel the crunchiness just by looking at the dough. empanada with tawgi or taugi(beansprouts)is one filling that i miss.
Parang mahirap gawin yang dough kesa sa fillings. I still want my yoghurt with strawberries for my dessert.
Bonjour again Chef, your empanada looks so good.. in french they may call empanada or “chausson au thon”. I’ll try your tuna fillings! Puede?
Sha,
I have fresh tuna at home – sarap nito for your empanada recipe -thanks for sharing ha! Pwede ko bang di lagyan ng olives? I don’t like it!
Thanks…
Ohhh Sha! No doubt you are the empanada queen, your empanadillas look beautiful and I am positive they were scrumptious too. Hugs from Panama!
P.S. Do not gorget to send your entry for the DMBLGIT (2006 #3) I am hosting it!!! For more info. head over to my blog 🙂 HUgs,
M
He Melissa I know you are March host.. will submit.
First time I did an empanada am capable hahha
I haven’t done the Filipino empanadas, but I’d like to try the Argentinian version! They look scrumptiously delicious in your photos!
Oh Sha, these look fantastic. The only empanadas I can taste here are the ones from Red Ribbon. Hehehe. I don’t make them kasi. I don’t have your skill and patience!
[…] #1: From Greece, Wanderlust ShaLadies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce you to Ms. Sha, the empanada queen! Oh,…just take a look at those photos. Just be prepared with some droll cleaning agents for your computer, after seen this post, it will be all over the place. Promise. […]
looks so yummy. i have tried cooking empanada’s but pork is my filing. that was my first time ever cooking empanada’s. my husband really loves it and even as his dinner. he he he. please write another recipe for pork empanada. i want it to be perfect the next time i do it. thanks