Empanadillas de atún

Ingredients

• 16empanadilla wrappersready-made round dough discs, about 10 cm; alternatively puff pastry or homemade dough
• 5⅔ oztunadrained weight, well drained and flaked
• 4¼ oztomato saucefor the filling, some left for serving
• 2eggshard-boiled, finely chopped
• 1¼ cupsoilfor frying, mild olive oil or sunflower oil
• saltto season the filling
• 1onionsmall, finely chopped and sautéed (optional)
• 2¾ ozbell pepperfinely diced, into the filling (optional)
• 1 tbspparsleychopped, fresh or dried (optional)
• 1egg yolkfor brushing in the baked version (optional)

Method

1. Boil and chop the eggsHard-boil the eggs for about 10 minutes, then cool them under cold water, peel and chop finely.
2. Prepare the tunaDrain the tuna well and flake it with a fork so the filling doesn't end up oily.
3. Sauté the onion and tunaIf you like, soften the finely chopped onion in a little oil until translucent, then add the tuna and fry it briefly. This is also the moment to add the diced bell pepper or piquillo peppers, if using.
4. Mix the fillingSet some of the tomato sauce aside for serving. In a bowl, mix the tuna with the chopped eggs and the remaining tomato sauce, stir in the parsley if you're using it, and season the filling with salt.
5. Fill the dough discsLay out the dough discs and place about a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each. Go easy here: overfilled pastries tend to burst in the oil.
6. Fold and seal the pastriesFold the dough over the filling into a half-moon, press the edges together with your fingers, then crimp them all the way round with a fork to seal.
7. Fry the empanadillasHeat plenty of oil in a pan or deep frying pan and fry the empanadillas in batches until golden brown on both sides.
8. Drain and serveDrain the empanadillas on kitchen paper and serve them hot, with the rest of the tomato sauce on the side if you like.

Tips and variations

If you'd rather use the oven than the frying pan, swap in puff pastry, brush the pastries with egg yolk and bake them for 20–25 minutes at 180–200 °C. You can also make the dough yourself: knead together flour, white wine, oil, salt and bicarbonate of soda and let it rest for 30 minutes. Instead of crimping with a fork, you can moisten the edges with water and pin them shut with toothpicks. For a plainer filling, leave out the egg and tomato sauce and season with garlic and pepper instead, and if you like a bit of heat, add some chilli. As a tapa, just eat them out of hand; as a main course, serve them with a potato salad or a mixed salad.