Traditional Galician Empanada Step by step for its preparation!

La Galician pie It has been considered one of the most succulent snacks of Spanish gastronomy, spreading to the entire world; therefore, in this article you will learn how to do it step by step.

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Initially we must know that an empanada is made up of a fine closed dough of bread, which can be broken or puff pastry. There are varieties such as corn flour, wheat and other cereals, most of the time it has some fat, such as butter or oil; as well as maintaining diversity in its fillings, these can be sweet, salty, meat, fish, chicken, shellfish, vegetables, beans, fruits, among others; It can be baked or fried.

Galicia is located in the Spanish community, specifically in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, where the gastronomic tradition that frames the most notorious aspects of its culture and society is born, it is where the Galician pie approximately in the seventh century, at the time of the Goths; however, this snack is a traditional dish in most kitchens in Spanish-speaking countries.

It is identified as an emblematic dish appearing carved in the Pórtico de la Gloria of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, for the XNUMXth century they decree norms for its elaboration. In its beginnings, the first Galician pie it was stuffed with chicken and mushrooms, it was ideal for people who traveled frequently called labregos, since it is a covered and cooked banquet, which avoids contact with external agents such as dust and earth.

Historians say that the pilgrims were in charge of publicizing the Galician empanadas,  because when arriving in Galicia the smell was something succulent, in combination with the scallops and the bread; This bite was of great pleasure to the palate, extolling the gastronomy and value of Galicia, taking this message to other cities on its way.

In the municipalities of Galicia it is offered especially in pilgrimages and festivals, with different fillings but preserving the ingredients of the Galician lands and coasts, these can be served hot, cold or at room temperature, however, currently it is made when you want be tasted by people and/or can be purchased in bakeries and lunch shops at any time of the day.

Characteristics and particularities of Galician empanadas

To recognize a Galician pie We must stop at the dough, this is wheat flour, corn, rye, or combined with lard and water, very similar to bread dough, but it is much finer and more delicate; keeping its golden and crunchy edges, it tends to be confused with the puff pastry that is gaining a good reception in Galicia.

Particularly its filling is cooked, before assembling the empanada, you can play with the protein (chicken, meat or fish) the vegetables must be fried, and to the taste of the guests. Its shape varies depending on the mold, it can be round, rectangular, square, it is served in portions as a snack, aperitif or tapa.

La Galician pie it is always baked, not fried, with ornaments and decorations to the taste of the person who makes it; the thickness is variable, however, it is usually found no more than five centimeters thick.

Diversity of fillings

Giving the freedom to choose if we want to make it from meat, chicken, fish, pork or shellfish, the Galician pie provides the versatility to combine these proteins or simply make them from vegetables; despite this, what is a rule is that this stuffing must be previously fried or stewed.

Respecting the regional inputs to maintain the tradition, in Galicia or in Galician gastronomy stores you can get them with loin, cod, bonito, sardines, zorza, octopus, vegetarian, sardines, etc.

Utensils

Must have tools for making Galician pie; Although it is common to have them in every kitchen, these are the basic ones:

• A bowl or a tall container to be able to mix the ingredients of the dough and in turn serve to rise it.
• Pan to make the sauce.
• Film or oven paper.
• Spoons, or paddles, sharp knife, fork.
• It is optional to use a mixer, or a kitchen robot (thermochef), or even a manual mixer to help with the dough.
• Cutting board.
• Roller.

Recipe and tricks

Mass

Although this dough is very similar to bread dough, this is particular because it contains wine, basic measurements are shown here, if the tray is larger or smaller, the quantities must be handled.

• 01 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
• 25 grams of fresh yeast.
• 01 cup of white wine.
• 450 grams of wheat flour or called force flour.
• 01 cup of lukewarm water.
• 90 grams of lard.
• 01 teaspoon salt.
• 02 eggs (one for the dough and another to paint the empanada).

Preparation of the dough

Initially let's see how to make the dough with the ingredients described above step by step, thus giving it the necessary time to rise and while we make the filling, it is important to know that this dough goes very well when preparing it by hand, it does not necessarily have to be prepared with a kitchen assistant, it's perfect just the same.

The trick is to respect the fermentation time, give the yeast time to do its job, and knead correctly, so that you end up with a rich, smooth and delicious dough.

1. The water is warmed, this can be warmed in the microwave, not very hot so that we can handle it in the dough.
2. In a large bowl or inn, pour the flour and salt, mix and form a volcano in the center.
3. In the center of the volcano, the liquids are first poured, warm water, olive oil, wine and only one egg.
4. As you mix, pour the crumbled fresh yeast with your hands.
5. With your hands or with the help of a kitchen utensil, gradually stir all the ingredients until they are all integrated for about 10 minutes.
6. If it is in a kitchen helper, it is recommended to initially place all the liquids, after 3 minutes add the dry ingredients.
7. Knead gently but firmly until the dough obtains a uniform consistency, without lumps, smooth and manageable.
8. If it is observed that it is very watery or loose, you can add more flour, without stopping kneading or stirring.
9. Once you have achieved the dough, form a ball and leave it in a bowl, with a little extra virgin olive oil, smear it so that it does not form a crust, cover it with a clean and dry kitchen cloth for approximately 25 minutes. , it will be observed until it doubles its volume, it could take up to an hour.

The dough will take time to rise depending on the climatic conditions of the house, since, if it is at a warm temperature it will take 1 hour or so, if it is cold it may take a little longer.

You will know when it is ready when it has doubled its volume, there are people who knead it again every 20 minutes, letting it rest for periods of time, stretch it according to the container to be baked, cover it with the cloth again, until you have the filling clever.

Filling

We can get many recipes from Galician empanadas, despite this, this snack is traditionally filled with tuna, the following are the ingredients of this filling:

• 01 large red pepper or paprika.
• 01 large green pepper or paprika.
• 1/2 bell pepper or yellow paprika.
• 300 grams of tuna this can be from a can that comes in oil or pickled, if it is preferably natural tuna it is to the taste of the person and/or diners.
• 01 large onion or equivalent to 300 grams.
• 250 grams of crushed tomato, or 03 diced tomatoes.
• 02 eggs.
• 02 garlic cloves.
• 01 small can of pitted green olives (optional).
• extra virgin olive oil.
• salt.

Dear reader, if you want to know another filling option for your Galician empanadas, I invite you to read our article about the savory crepes where you will find interesting proposals that will surprise your guests.

Preparation of the Galician empanada filling

always the secret of Galician pie it is the filling that is chosen, you can play with the imagination and play with preferences to create a unique version of the infinity of recipes that can be obtained, in the traditional filling, tuna and peppers predominate, these must be perfect and succulent, let's see how to get it.

1. Take the peppers or paprika, the onion to cut them into julienne or squares, the shape is preferred.
2. In a frying pan, or paila or pot, pour a stream of extra virgin olive oil, over medium heat, poach only the onion.
3. After observing the slightly transparent onion, add the garlic, the peppers or paprika and a pinch of salt.
4. You have to stir and watch that it does not burn, if it happens its taste would be bitter and unpleasant to the filling.
5. When this sauce is made, the crushed or diced tomatoes are placed for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes release their juice, the pot is covered so that the flavors of the vegetables are integrated.
6. While the filling is cooking, cut the green olives.
7. The two eggs are boiled and chopped into squares or slices according to your taste.
8. Check the sauce and when it is ready, add the tuna, which must be shredded and drained, (it is optional to add the oil from the cans of tuna).
9. After 2 minutes, add the eggs and olives.
10. The salt is corrected, and it is of personal taste, at this moment it is when other species are added.

The sofrito should not only contain salt, but you can add pepper, cumin, oregano, among others that add flavor and smell to the filling. Reserve the filling until it is cold, which is very important when assembling the Galician pie, since being hot would ruin the dough.

Galician empanada assembly

We take the mass that we had left at rest, after having observed it and that it has reached double its correct volume.

1. Preheat the oven, placing it at 180 °.
2. We place the dough on a counter, where we can give it a simple kneading.
3. They are divided into two, taking into account that one must be larger than the other, which will be the base and the lid, two balls are made, they are placed in a bowl and covered with the kitchen towel, they are left to rest alone for 5 more minutes.
4. After the estimated time has elapsed, the dough is taken to the counter, where with the help of a rolling pin it will be rolled out until it is very thin. more flour, and it is easier to transfer them to the baking container.
5. In the container that has been chosen to bake the Galician pie, it can be spread with olive oil, or use the same paper that was used to spread the dough so that it does not stick.
6. The largest extended dough is placed taking care that it reaches almost to the edges.
7. When the stuffing is properly cold, it expands, a trick is to have drained it, so that it doesn't have much liquid, so that it doesn't get watery and doesn't spoil the dough, it should remain after having cooked the dough in the oven.
8. Place the other dough with the help of the paper on top of the filling, covering the entire preparation.
9. With a sharp utensil remove the excess dough, they will serve to decorate the Galician pie as an ornament giving it the shape you want.
10. Take care of the edges by sealing them with the fingertips, like pinches, in this way you unite both masses, twisting them inwards, repeat this around the edge.
11. The remaining egg is lightly beaten to varnish the entire coverage and surface of this delicious snack, thus achieving a shiny appearance and a golden tone that is appealing to any diner.
12. Place a fork, knife or something sharp to make holes in the dough, this will make the steam come out of the interior and no air bubbles will form inside the dough, allowing it to be more compact and firm.
13. Finally take the Galician pie, Baked without forgetting to be preheated, for 45 minutes or until you see it golden on the edges and on the surface.

Take into account that each oven is different, and the container chosen to make it can vary the cooking time.

 Recommendations and advice on the Galician empanada

• Before serving it you should check that the bottom part is cooked, if you want and if you got a hard and golden crust, you can turn it over and put it in the oven for a while longer.
• Freshly made it is succulent, but at room temperature after resting it is better.
• La Galician pie you can keep it frozen for a few days, place it on the side of the refrigerator so that it recovers its texture and place it in the oven at medium temperature, it is not recommended to reheat it in the microwave as the dough tends to get soft.
• If you feel like it, you can vary the dough, preparing it as puff pastry, with a sweet touch in the dough.
• A viable option is to make the dough and freeze it, make a simple filling, assemble it and that's it. You should only take care to thaw the dough gradually.
• Placing the stuffing in a colander with a container below, or putting it to one side in the inclined pan, allows to obtain the juicy sofrito; a very liquid filling will make it easier for the dough to become raw and if it is the opposite it will be very dry.
• All tastes can vary, and for this you can mix the egg with sugar and varnish the Galician pieThis way you get a crispier crust and a sweet touch.

• Most of the time it is preferable to prepare it in square containers, this allows the portions to be removed more easily, and when it comes to preserving it in plastic wrap it is an excellent option, however in round containers it works very well.
• Reserving the oil that comes in the cans of tuna is also useful for varnishing the coverage of the Galician empanada, achieving an additional and intense flavor of this protein.
• With cookie cutters and the dough that you have left over from the edges, you can make figures and decorate, it is varnished just the same, achieving a pretty appearance.
• They can be made completely and frozen, raw, without cooking them, just wrap them very well in plastic wrap to take care that the dough does not dry out.