TASTY TASTY TUNA PIE (EMPANADA) by Jstar

You need to start making this at least 90 minutes before you're eating (or earlier) because you're going to make your own pastry!! (its easy)
Preparation time: 25 minutes plus chilling time
Cooking time: 50-55 minutes

INGREDIENTS for the PASTRY

350g plain flour
175g butter – (leave it out for a bit to make it softer)
60 ml water (approximately)
Lemon Zest ( few gratings of a lemon rind)
pinch of salt
1 egg – beaten ( to glaze the pie!  mmmm!)

for INSIDE THE PIE

1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 red pepper – finely chopped
1 red chilli  finely chopped
500g potatoes – peeled and diced nice and small – if they are too big they wont cook so well!
a few Anchovies
1 x tin of tuna fish
300ml white wine
2 (about 8 desert spoons) tablespoons tomato puree a handful of chopped parsley
4 teaspoons of paprika ( i like the smoked one)
thyme – 1 tsp
salt n pepper to taste
olive oil

Instructions

Pastry Making

(click images to see larger)

1. In a large bowl, chop the butter up into chunks, add some salt and lemon zest,
2. work with your fingers while keeping adding flour until it turns into fine breadcrumbs. Add enough of the cold water to make a soft dough.
3. Wrap the finished dough in clingfilm or clean plastic bag and put in the fridge for an hour to chill.

PIE FILLING

Heat some oil in a big frying pan, add the onions, garlic, chilli, anchovies pepper and chopped potatoes. Stir and cook slowly to sweat and soften everything for 15-20 minutes.

Pour yourself a nice cold glass of wine, and chuck in 300ml of it over the pan with the tomato puree, parsley, paprika and thyme. Season with a little salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add a little water if  looks like its getting dry. Remove from the heat and stir in the tuna.

PUT THE OVEN ON!

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5 – do it now!
Grease up a pie dish or flan tin using a bit of the paper that the butter came in / or some greaseproof paper.

ROLL OUT THE DOUGH

1. Grab the pastry out of the fridge (you didn't drink too many glasses of wine did you?). Spread a little flour on a clean surface Save 1/3 of the dough for the top of the flan. Roll out the rest – if you dont have a rolling pin, use the chilled wine bottle (see picture – make sure the cork or lid is on, and put some flour on the bottle to stop the pastry sticking to it!)

Make a ball, squash down with your hand, roll it out up down, left right, working round.

2. Put the rolled dough in the greased dish/tin for the pie.

3. Spread the filling into the pastry in the tin, Dampen the edges of the pastry (this will help seal it up) Roll out the rest of the pastry to make the lid. Lay over the top of the pie and seal the edges by crimping with your fingers. Trim off any excess pastry.

4. Brush with beaten egg and prick with a fork. Cook for about 50 minutes.

After baking it should look like this…

Serve with Craime Fraiche and Salad, and extra pepper sauce if you like it spicey!