Empanadillas are filled pastry morsels. If you don't have the time to make pastry to the traditional recipe (it has wonderful flavour to it), use two packets of bought flaky pastry instead.

Ingredients

Filling

• about 6-8 strands saffron
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• 1 double chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 100 grams chorizo sausage, finely sliced
• 250 grams minced pork
• 70 gram packet sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 large tomatoes, finely diced
• 12-16 stuffed olives, roughly chopped

Pastry

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 75 grams butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 200 grams butter
• egg wash

Method

Filling

1. Heat the saffron in the sherry and allow to stand for about half an hour to infuse,
2. Cut the double chicken breast in half horizontally, then shred finely.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion, garlic and chorizo sausage and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the minced pork and chicken and cook over a high heat, breaking up the mince, until the meats are well browned.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes until thick and very tasty. Season with salt and pepper.

Pastry

1. Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and process until well mixed. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and sufficient water to make a firm dough. Bring together into a ball, wrap in plasic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Roll the dough out to form a long rectangle approximately 30cm by 10cm. Cut the butter into thin slices and spread over two thirds of the pastry. Fold the unbuttered third over the centre third and then on top of the bottom third. Give the pastry a quarter turn and then roll out to a long rectangle. Repeat the folding process twice more. Refrigerate for an hour before making the empandillas.
3. Roll the dough out to about 2-3mm thickness. Cut into 10cm rounds and brush the edges with egg wash (one egg beaten with a few tablespoons of water). Place a large spoonful of the filling in the centre of the pastry round and bring the edges together.
4. Place on a well-greased tray and press the edge with a fork to secure. Brush the pastries with beaten egg wash.
5. Bake att 200ºC in a fan bake oven or 220ºC in an oven without a fan for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.