An Empanada Gallega is a Spanish meat pie, made large enough to feed several people as a main course. It can be square or round. It is served in slices, like a pie.
The crust was made at first with bread dough. Now, a purpose-made yeast-risen dough is used. The pie has a top crust and a bottom crust, and is made flat, rather than rounded up, as Latin American ones most often are. The top is often prettied-up with decorative pastry strips.
The fillings can be savoury or sweet. The savoury ones will use meat, fish or seafood, with tuna a popular choice.
In Spain, single serving size Empanadas are also made. They are called “empanadillas”, meaning “little Empanadas.” They are served as tapas.
History Notes
Empanada Gallega originated in Galicia, Spain.
Language Notes
Empanada comes from the Spanish verb “empanar”, which literally meant to put something in bread (with the “pan” part in the middle being “bread”), but which actually means now to put something in pastry or some form of dough for the purpose of cooking it.
Sources
Roden, Claudia. The Original Empanada. New York: Wall Street Journal. 7 July 2012. Page D6.