Spanish cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Cockle Empanada

Galician sheet-pan pie with a thin olive-oil dough, filled with cockles, braised onion and bell pepper.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 400 g flour
• 1 tsp dried yeast
• 150 ml lukewarm water
• 80 ml olive oil for the dough
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 g cockle meat (canned and drained as a substitute)
• 3 onions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg for brushing
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, dried yeast and salt, work in the lukewarm water with 80 ml olive oil and knead for 8 min. into a smooth, supple dough; let rise covered in a warm spot for 1 hr.
2. For the filling, cut the onions and bell pepper into fine strips and braise slowly in 4 tbsp olive oil over low heat for 25–30 min. until everything is very soft and golden, but hasn't taken on color.
3. Stir in the paprika, toast for 30 sec., season with salt and pepper and let the sofrito cool completely — warm, it would soften the dough.
4. Fold the drained cockles into the cold sofrito and pour off any excess liquid; halve the dough and roll both halves out on a little flour into two rectangles of about 30 × 25 cm.
5. Lay one sheet of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spread the filling to within 2 cm of the edge, lay the second sheet on top, press the edges firmly together and roll them in, pierce a hole in the center as a steam vent and brush with beaten egg.
6. Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C top/bottom heat for 30–35 min. until the empanada is deep golden brown, then let cool for 15 min. and serve warm cut into squares.