Empadas de bacalhau (Portuguese Codfish Empanadas)

Empadas de bacalhau are the little pies you see behind every Portuguese café counter, and the codfish version is a favorite: buttery, flaky pastry around a savory filling of salt cod, onion, garlic, tomato and fresh herbs.

They are festive food and everyday food at once — equally at home on a party spread or wrapped in a napkin for the road. Warm from the oven, when the pastry shatters and the filling steams, they are very hard to stop eating.

The recipe has two simple components — a chilled butter-and-shortening dough and a quick skillet filling — and both can be made ahead, which makes assembly day pleasantly easy.

Empadas de Bacalhau Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus chilling and overnight soaking) · Cook time: 20 minutes · Total: 40 minutes active · Servings: 8 · Calories: ~301 per serving

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• ½ cup vegetable shortening, chilled
• ½ cup ice-cold water (plus more if needed)
• 1 large egg yolk, for brushing
• For the filling:
• 1 pound salt cod, soaked overnight and desalted
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium tomato, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 hard-boiled egg, diced (optional)

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour and salt, then work in the butter and shortening with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add the cold water gradually, mixing just until the dough comes together. Divide into two disks, wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
3. Simmer the soaked cod for 10 minutes, drain, cool slightly, and shred, removing bones and skin.
4. Sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato and cook until soft, then stir in the paprika, herbs, pepper, shredded cod and the diced egg if using.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thickness and cut 4-inch circles.
6. Spoon filling into the center of each circle, fold into a half-moon, press to seal and crimp with a fork.
7. Brush with the egg yolk and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

• Both dough and filling keep overnight in the fridge — assembly-day shortcut.
• For traditional cup-shaped empadas, press the dough into muffin tins, fill, and top with a pastry lid.
• They freeze well baked; refresh in a hot oven for 10 minutes.