Tuna patties

Miriam, author of El Invitado de Invierno , brings us today a truly delicious traditional recipe: empanadillas stuffed with tuna, olives, hard-boiled egg and tomato . I assure you that it is worth preparing them at home, success is guaranteed!

Empanadillas are a classic homemade dish that should not die. I know that some of you consider them old-fashioned and childish, but open your mind a little and get rid of prejudices, even for a moment. So that you don't get scared, we cook them in the oven, as if they were Argentine empanadas, because they absorb less fat than the traditional method of frying them. And they are just as succulent.

If we also make the empanada dough at home, the result will be fantastic . And with all the gadgets we have in our kitchens today, the whole process is much simpler and faster, from mixing the dough to cutting it and forming the empanadas. Yes, yes.

We will also prepare a delicious classic filling of canned tuna with olives. If this is too classic for you, feel free to fill this magnificent dough with whatever you fancy. I'm not going to judge you.

Tellier dumpling molds and round Bérard olive wood board .

Ingredients (for about 24 medium-sized empanadas)

Filled with tuna, hard-boiled egg and olives:

• 2 boiled eggs
• 120gr of tuna in oil or pickled, well drained
• 1 handful of pitted green olives
• Tomato sauce to bind the whole thing

Homemade empanada dough:

• 110gr of white wine
• 60gr of melted lard*
• 50gr of olive oil
• 340gr of pastry flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 additional egg for painting

*You can easily replace all the lard with the same amount of olive oil.

Elaboration

To be better organized, if we want we can prepare the filling the day before and store it in an airtight container .

Stuffed

1. We boil the eggs for 10 minutes in boiling salted water, let them cool and set aside.
2. We drain the tuna of its liquid and shred it with a fork. We add the chopped eggs and the chopped olives.
3. We bind everything with a little good tomato sauce. We set aside.

Dumpling dough

1. We melt the lard and mix it with the oil in a bowl .
2. Add the salt and white wine, add the flour and mix everything together, by hand or with a food processor , until you obtain a homogeneous dough that should not stick to your hands. Avoid kneading it too much.
3. We wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for at least 1 hour so that the gluten relaxes and we can stretch it comfortably. This is mandatory.

Assembly and cooking

1. We take half of the rested dough and roll it out on the counter. It hardly needs flouring, because it is a fairly greasy dough.
2. Using a 10-12cm cutter , cut out circles of pastry. Turn the cutter over and place a disk on top; add a teaspoon of filling and seal the mould tightly. Remove the pastry and store it in a freezer bag, as this dough dries out very quickly.
3. Continue in this manner until all the dough circles are finished. The scraps can be rolled out again, but it is best to let them rest for a while to relax.
4. Place all the empanadas on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Beat the egg and paint them.
5. We bake the empanadas for 25 minutes in the oven at 180°, with heat from above and below.

• If you prefer to fry the empanadas instead of baking them in the oven, heat plenty of oil in a deep frying pan (a pot for boiling and frying is also ideal). When it is hot, fry the empanadas two by two and transfer them to a dish lined with kitchen paper when they are golden brown.

Tellier empanada molds

Make these homemade tuna empanadas for a spring snack or meal and enjoy them with a nice white wine. You'll see everything in a different light.