Spanish food is one of my favorite types of cuisine. I love everything from the olives to the bread to the cured meats and creamy cheeses. Oh, and of course the Sangria!
Empanadas are stuffed pastries found in Spanish and Latin American cuisine. Empanadas like the one I made is usually served as a main meal while their South American cousins, empanadillas, are served as part of a tapas meal. Empanadillas are mini empanadas, about the size of your palm. While both are delicious, I decided to go with the more traditional empanada from the north of Spain.
The great thing about these is that they can be filled with anything from sausage to chicken to tuna. I found a recipe for
Olive Oil and Saffron Dough from
The New Spanish Table. My empanada will be filled with onions, red peppers and
chorizo.
Olive oil and saffron pastry:
1 teaspoon dried yeast
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 large pinch of saffron, pulverized in a mortar and steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water
3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cups flour
Mix yeast, water and sugar in a large bowl, and let stand for about10 minutes, until bubbles form on the surface. Whisk in butter, olive oil, egg, salt and saffron.
Stir in 3 1/2 cups of flour, a little at a time, until all of the flour is used.
Lightly knead dough until it is smooth and elastic, using the remaining flour if the dough feels sticky.
Divide dough into two balls (one slightly larger than the other), place in an oiled bowl, and leave to rise for at least 30 minutes, or up to several hours. The dough will only rise slightly. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours - just be sure to let it return to room temperature before using.
Ingredients.
And, as you can see, it was pretty easy to make.
Saffron.
Wisking.
Kneading.
Resting.
Rolling.
Some of the filling.
Before going in the oven.
Cooling down.
Side dishes.
Dinner!!
