The Original Empanada with a few changes, of course

Angelita's Empanada
via: Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2012
Serves: 6-8

FOR THE PASTRY (I did not make the pastry. I served it on crackers)

1 large Egg

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ cup Olive Oil

½ cup Dry White Wine or Hard Cider

½ teaspoon Salt

About 2¼ cups all-purpose Flour

1 Egg, separated


FOR THE FILLING

1 large Onion, chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small pieces (I did not have this)

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 (14-ounce) can chopped Tomatoes (I used halved fresh grape tomatoes instead)

1 teaspoon Sugar

Salt, to taste (omitted)

About 14 ounces canned Tuna in oil, drained and flaked

20-24 black olives, such as Kalamata, pitted and chopped (I used sliced black olives)

3 TBL Capers, drained
20 Green Olives with Pimentos, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the pastry: Beat egg lightly with a fork in a large bowl. Beat in baking soda, oil, wine and salt. Gradually work in enough flour to make a soft, malleable dough, stirring it in with a fork to begin with, then working it in with your hands. Roll dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for an hour.

2. For the filling, fry onion and bell pepper in oil in a large skillet, stirring often, until soft. Add tomatoes, sugar and a little salt and cook over medium heat until sauce is jammy, about 15 minutes. Stir in tuna, olives and chopped eggs.

3. Grease a pie pan about 11 inches in diameter with oil. Divide dough into 2 pieces, one slightly less than twice as big as the other. Roll out the larger piece (keep the remaining dough in plastic wrap) on a smooth work surface—do not flour the surface or the rolling pin; the dough will not stick, because it is oil-based. Roll it out so that it is large enough to come over the edges of the pan, and carefully transfer dough to the pan by rolling it up onto the rolling pin, then unrolling it gently into the pan. Without stretching the dough, ease it into the corners. Trim the edges to a ½-inch border. Lightly beat egg white, and brush it all over the dough. Bake 10 minutes, then let cool.

4. Spread filling evenly in pie shell. Roll out remaining dough to a large circle and lay it carefully on top of filling so that it covers the edges of the bottom crust. Brush with egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 35-40 minutes. It is good hot or cold.

—From Ms. Roden's "The Food of Spain" (Ecco, 2001)