Empanada Rápida de Atún (The Communal Bake)
(em-pah-NAH-dah RAH-pee-dah deh ah-TOON)
El Domingo y La Sobremesa
If there is one scent that means family is gathering in a Spanish home, it is the deeply savory, paprika-laced aroma of a massive empanada baking on a sheet tray. Forget the little deep-fried hand pies you might find elsewhere; this is the majestic, communal centerpiece of Sunday afternoons. The secret here isn't hours of proofing dough—it is an ingenious, yeast-free crust hydrated with white wine and the paprika-stained oil harvested directly from the slow-poached tuna and onion filling. It is a masterpiece of home economics that tastes fiercely of the homeland and comes together on a busy weeknight.
Before you start
Commit to the chop.
You are building a jammy confit, not a stir-fry. Take the time to finely and uniformly dice the onions and peppers so they melt properly during the slow poach.
Hard-boil the eggs.
Boil two eggs, cool them entirely in an ice bath, peel, and roughly chop them before you begin cooking the vegetables.
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil3/4 cup
- yellow onions3 large
- green bell pepper1 med
- red bell pepper1 med
- sweet smoked paprika1 tbsp
- tomato passata1/2 cup
- canned tuna in olive oil15 oz
- hard-boiled eggs2 large
- green olives1/4 cup
- unbleached all-purpose flour4 1/4 cup
- dry white wine1/2 cup
- whole milk1/2 cup
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- egg1 large
Method
- 01
Build the zaragallada.
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the mountain of onions and peppers, season with a half teaspoon of salt, and slow-poach for 30 to 40 minutes until collapsed and deeply translucent.
- 02
Bloom the paprika and tomatoes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sweet smoked paprika, followed by the tomato passata, allowing the residual heat to meld the flavors without turning the paprika bitter.
- 03
Harvest the liquid gold.
Pour the entire vegetable mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing gently with a spatula to extract exactly a half cup of the vibrant, red oil; set this oil aside to cool.
- 04
Finish the filling.
Transfer the drained vegetables to a mixing bowl, gently fold in the drained tuna, chopped eggs, and sliced olives, then let the mixture cool completely so it doesn't melt the raw dough later.
- 05
Mix the instant masa.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper; in a large bowl, whisk the harvested sofrito oil, white wine, milk, and the remaining teaspoon of salt, then gradually stir in the flour until a shaggy dough forms.
- 06
Knead and divide the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead for 5 minutes until it feels incredibly supple and smooth, then divide it into two pieces, making one slightly larger than the other.
- 07
Roll and assemble the bottom.
Roll the larger piece of dough paper-thin directly on the parchment paper to cover the bottom of your sheet pan, then spread the cooled tuna filling evenly over it, leaving a 1-inch border.
- 08
Top and crimp.
Roll out the second piece of dough to roughly the same size, drape it over the filling, and fold the bottom edge up and over the top edge, rolling and pinching tightly to seal the pie.
- 09
Vent, wash, and bake.
Snip a 1-inch chimney hole in the dead center of the top crust to let steam escape, brush the entire surface with the beaten egg, and bake on the middle rack for 40 to 45 minutes until deeply golden brown and crisp.
- 10
Cool before serving.
Let the empanada cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes; this communal bake is traditionally and best eaten at room temperature.
Notes
The oil matters.
Do not skimp on the olive oil during the initial poach. You are deliberately using excess fat so you can harvest it for the dough, which bridges the flavor of the filling and the crust.
Use oil-packed tuna.
Water-packed tuna is too dry for this application and lacks the richness required for a baked pie. Use the good stuff, but drain it well so it doesn't make the bottom crust soggy.
Make it ahead.
This dish is a weeknight savior if you make the filling a day or two in advance. Store the harvested oil in a jar on the counter and the tuna filling in the fridge until you are ready to mix the 15-minute dough and assemble.