Tags

, , , ,


Empanadas are a delicious stuffed pastry original from Galicia, northern Spain. There is a huge variety of them.

If you are lucky, and travelling to Spain soon, you can’t miss the scallops, octopus or cockles Empanadas. If you are around Salamanca look for Hornazo, one of my favourites.

This a basic version, with ingredients I had handy. Just play with your favourite ingredients…

Ingredients

  • 650gr. Strong Flour.
  • 40gr. Fresh Yeast or 10gr. dried one.
  • 150ml. Whole Milk.
  • 50ml. water.
  • 100gr. Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
  • 100gr. Lard.
  • 1 egg.
  • A tea spoon of salt.
  • A tea spoon White Sugar.
  • Another egg for “painting”.

And for the filling:

  • 8 Slices of Baked Ham.
  • 8 Slices of Cheese (I used Mature Cheddar).
  • 4 eggs.
  • 8 Sun dried Tomatoes.

Preparation

Put in a bowl the milk, water, olive oil and lard. Heat in the microwave for 90 seconds. Add the yeast, sugar and salt. Mix until the yeast dissolves.

Put the flour in a bowl. Add, in the centre, the mix with the yeast plus 1 egg. Mix in the bowl until all ingredients are integrated.

Place the dough in a flat surface with flour. Work with your hands for 5 minutes. Divide the dough in two pieces.

Using a roller flat both pieces to 1 cm thick.  Place one sheet on an oven tray with baking paper.

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees.

Now, we start with the filling. One layer of cooked ham, one layer of cheese. Chop the sun dried tomatoes and spread pieces on top. Add the eggs, just open them and place them carefully. You can add more cheese/ham layers if you like.

Now, close the Empanada. Put the other sheet on top. Cut the excess dough and keep it for decoration. Seal it using a fork.

With the dough leftovers, make some sticks and balls and stick them on top as decoration.

Paint all the surface with egg and into the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Let it cool down and serve.

*Perfect dinner with the Red Cabbage Salad.