Tuna empanadas

PREPARATION  30 minutes chilling time

COOKING  45 minutes

MAKES  24

400 g (14 oz/3¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for rolling

75 g (2¾ oz) butter, softened

2 eggs

60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) fine sherry

1 egg, extra, lightly beaten

Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small brown onion, finely diced

2 teaspoons tomato paste (concentrated purée)

125 g (4½ oz/½ cup) tinned chopped tomatoes

85 g (3 oz) tinned tuna, drained

1½ tablespoons chopped roasted red capsicum (pepper)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Sift flour and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl. Rub butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Combine the eggs and sherry and add to the bowl, cutting the liquid in with a flat-bladed knife until the mixture clumps and forms a dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gather together into a smooth ball (do not knead or the pastry will be tough). Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To make filling, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for about 5 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add tomato paste and chopped tomato and then cook for 10 minutes, or until pulpy. Add tuna, roasted capsicum and parsley and season well.

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Dust a work surface with the extra flour. Roll out half the pastry to a thickness of 2 mm (¹/₁₆ inch). Using a 10 cm (4 inch) cutter, cut pastry into 12 rounds. Put a heaped tablespoon of filling on each round, fold over and brush edges with water, then pinch to seal. Continue with the remaining rounds, then repeat with the rest of the dough and filling to make 24 empanadas.

Transfer to a lightly oiled baking tray and then brush each empanada with the extra beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm or cold.