Author Notes
I've always been a sucker for the flavors of Spanish/North African cooking, which I wrapped up here in one package. It's a great balance of rich tuna, smoky pimenton and briny capers, set off with the tangy tomato in the filling and orange in the dough. The cauliflower might not be traditional, but I can't help sneaking in some vegetables (these turnovers also can be served with a salad for a more complete meal). Instead of a lean empanada dough, this is more of a rich crust, given a few turns to make it extra flaky (and worthy of the delicious filling within). The recipe might make a bit more filling than you need, depending on how you stuff the turnovers (and depending on whether you, unlike me, can put all of the filling in the turnovers instead of your mouth). —deensiebat
Ingredients
- Crust
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2 1/2 cups
flour (I like to swap in half cup whole wheat, but that's optional)
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1 pinch
salt
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zest of 1 orange
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1/2 pound
cold butter, cut into pats
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1/3 cup
orange juice (you can squeeze this from the orange you zested
- Filling
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3 tablespoons
olive oil
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1
yellow onion, sliced into thin half-moons
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3
cloves garlic, thinly sliced
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2 teaspoons
pimenton (smoked spanish paprika), sweet or hot
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1 pinch
chili flakes (omit if using hot pimenton)
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1/2 cup
tomato puree
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1/2
small cauliflower, broken into small florets
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2
5-ounce cans oil-packed tuna, drained
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1/4 cup
drained capers
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1/4 cup
chopped parsely
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1 splash
sherry vinegar
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2 sprigs
fresh thyme (leaves only)
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salt and pepper to taste
Directions
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In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and orange zest. Add the butter, toss to coat with flour, and press down with the heel of your hand to flatten it into flour-coated flakes. Stir from the bottom to distribute, and repeat the pressing and stirring process until all of the flour is incorporated into flakes or bits. Add the orange juice, and work the dough until it *just* comes together (you'll work it more later, so no need to go nuts -- smears of butter are fine). You may not need all of the orange juice, or you may need more, depending upon your dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
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While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Saute the onions about 7 minutes, until beginning to soften, then add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Add the pimenton and chili flakes, stir to toast, then add the tomato puree and cauliflower. Cover and cook until the cauliflower barely begins to lose its rawness but is still plenty snappy -- just a minute or two. Turn off the heat, and add the remaining ingredients. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
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While the filling is chilling, take out the dough out of the fridge, and unwrap on a lightly-floured countertop. Roll out to a rectangular shape, then fold like an envelope and rotate 90 degrees. Repeat twice more, then re-wrap and return to the fridge for another chill, ~30 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment, and prepare your egg wash.
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When the dough has chilled, remove from the refrigerator, and let soften for a few minutes. Roll out thinly, and cut out 6" circles (if you, like me, don't have a 6" cutter or bowl to use, you can just use a 4" cutter, and then roll them out further, or divide the dough into 10 pieces, and roll each one into a round). Scoop 1/4 filling onto each round, and brush the edges of the dough circles with the egg wash. Fold over to make a half circle, securing the seal by pressing with your fingers or crimping with a fork. Place the filled turnovers on your baking sheets, brush with the egg wash, and cut a couple tiny holes for the steam to vent. If the kitchen is quite warm, you might need to chill them for a bit after this step, but ordinarily you can transfer them right into the oven. Bake until browned and bubbling, ~30 minutes. Devour.
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