I’ve been to Spain on several occasions: 2018, Barcelona, Valencia, and southern Spain; 2015, Camino de Santiago; 2013, Basque Country, French and Spanish; 2010, north coast of Spain; and, most recently, July 2021, Galicia and Madrid (more on that to follow)…

Suffice it to say, I have a special place in my heart for Spain.

Whenever I return to the States, I long for the flavors I experienced while traveling. In Galicia, I had several versions of bacalao (salt cod) empanada I’m still dreaming about. One version, interestingly enough, had a corn meal crust, which was incredibly crispy. Hmm, need to figure out how to make this…

I thought about bringing some salt cod home with me from the farmers’ market in Santiago de Compostela, but decided against it since I wasn’t sure it would make it through U.S. Customs. Sadly, the chorizo I had packed in my backpack did not make it through Customs 🙁

Wish I could get my hands on some quality salt cod.

Instead, I found this recipe for a tuna and piquillo pepper empanada from Bake Street for my first attempt at Galician Empanada. Definitely reminds me of versions of tuna empanada I had in Spain.

I foresee more versions of empanada with various fillings on the horizon.

FOR THE DOUGH:

500 grams all-purpose flour
150 grams whole milk
1 large egg 
1 tsp salt
150 grams olive oil
Egg wash, 1 beaten egg + pinch of salt

In the bowl of the stand mixer or KitchenAid, add the flour together with the milk, egg, and salt.

With the dough hook, mix until you get a crumbly texture. Add the oil in a continuous stream while continuing mixing.

Continue to mix until the dough is completely smooth and homogeneous with a fully developed gluten. It’ll take about 15 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a bowl, cover, and let it rest for 2-3 hours.

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:

Note: This recipe makes more sauce than you’ll need for the empanada, so you could easily cut the recipe in half. Though, the sauce is really good, so you may want to make the full recipe and enjoy the leftover sauce with something else.

5 ripe red tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

With a sharp knife score each tomato on the bottom, making an X. Drop tomatoes into boiling water and cook for 1 minute before removing with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, slide the skins off the tomatoes. Core and roughly chop the tomatoes. 

Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, olive oil, and salt to a pot. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend the tomato sauce with a hand blender. Correct the seasoning if necessary. Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING:

40 grams olive oil
3 large onions, chopped
8-12 tablespoons homemade tomato sauce, recipe below
1 ½ teaspoon pimentón (hot smoked Spanish paprika)
Salt to taste
500 g canned tuna, drained well
8 ounce jar, Piquillo peppers, seeds removed, sliced into strips

Pour the olive oil into a large frying pan and place on medium-low heat. When warm, add the chopped onion and cook for 45-50 minutes. Keep a close eye, making sure they don’t burn. 

Add the previously prepared tomato sauce together with the paprika and salt. Stir to combine. Cook for 10-15 more minutes.

Remove from the heat, add the previously drained tuna, and mix again to distribute evenly. Let stand until the filling is completely cool.

TO FINISH THE EMPANADA:

Preheat convection oven to 375F. 

Preshape the dough. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Shape two balls and cover with a cloth. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Roll one of the pieces of dough with a rolling pin to obtain a thin round of dough, approximately 15 inches in diameter. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. 

Spread the tuna filling to cover the round of dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Layer the piquillo pepper strips on top. 

Roll out the second piece of dough, approximately 15 inches in diameter. With a cookie cutter, cut a 1 ½-inch hole in the middle. Place the second sheet on top of the first. Remove any excess dough. Crimp the edges to seal. Decorate the surface with strips of leftover dough. 

Prick the surface of the dough all over with the tines of a fork. Brush the top of the empanada with egg wash. Bake for 50 minutes.

Place on a wire rack to cool. Serve.