Empanada

Ingredients

• 1⅛ lbWheat flourfor the dough, plus extra for rolling out
• 4⅔ ozLardmelted and lukewarm for the dough; a little extra for frying
• 3⅛ ozbutterdiced, as an alternative to lard in the dough (optional)
• ¾ cupwaterlukewarm, for the dough
• ⅔ cupmilklukewarm for the dough, or 1 tbsp for the egg wash
• saltfor dough and filling
• 1eggsbeaten, for brushing the pastries
• 3½ ozchorizodiced, for the filling
• 1⅛ lbpotatoespeeled and finely diced
• 1Red bell peppertrimmed, cut into strips or dice
• 3½ ozAjvarpepper paste, binds the filling
• pepperfor the filling
• 7 ozMixed ground meatbrowned until crumbly, as an alternative filling (optional)
• 1onionfinely diced, for the filling (optional)
• 1 clovesgarlicfinely diced (optional)
• 10Green olivespitted, roughly chopped (optional)
• Paprika powdersweet, for seasoning the filling (optional)
• 1 tbsptomato pasteto bind the meat filling (optional)

Method

1. Melt the lard and let it cool until lukewarm. Knead it with the flour, lukewarm water and salt to a smooth dough. If you prefer, work the diced butter with the flour, lukewarm milk, 1 extra egg yolk (separate from the egg for brushing) and salt into a smooth dough — finer and a little shorter.
2. Cover the dough and chill it for 50 to 60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, dice the chorizo, peel and finely dice the potatoes, and trim the red pepper and cut it into strips or dice. If you like, finely dice the onion and garlic as well and roughly chop the pitted green olives.
4. Heat a little lard in a pan. If using, soften the diced onion and garlic in the hot lard first, then add the chorizo — or the mixed ground meat — and fry over good heat until crumbly and browned. Add the potatoes and red pepper and keep frying until the potatoes are tender.
5. Season with salt, black pepper and sweet paprika if you like, then stir in the ajvar (or the tomato paste, if you've gone with the meat filling) and fold in the roughly chopped olives if you like. Let the filling cool completely, otherwise the dough will turn soggy.
6. Heat the oven to 180–390 °F top and bottom heat (160–345 °F fan).
7. Roll the dough out thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out circles of about 13 cm; re-roll the scraps.
8. Spoon a little filling onto each circle, fold over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly together. Set the pastries on a baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg, stirred together with a tablespoon of milk.
9. Bake for 22 to 30 minutes until golden brown and serve warm.

Tips and variations

For a different filling, mix ground meat with Serrano ham, hard-boiled egg, olives and Parmesan. If you'd rather not shape half-moons, line muffin tins with the dough, fill them and lay on a small pastry lid, pricking a few steam holes before baking. Pile them warm onto a board in the middle of the table — they go with whatever else you have out as tapas.