Bone the anchovies and rinse under running water to whiten them, then leave them to dry.
On a pastry board, work into the flour the oil, salt and warm water in which you have dissolved the yeast. After letting it rise for about a half-hour, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you have a circle.
On half the circle place a layer of parsley on top of which will go the anchovies and then the capers, finely minced onion and garlic, ground black pepper, a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Fold the other half over this and pinch the edges tightly closed so the empanada won’t open during cooking.
Place in a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 375ºF.
Did you know?
The ‘mpanada (empanada) is a bread dough pouch containing a filling cooked inside it. The word derives from Spanish, in which it means “meat, cheese or fish pasty”. And indeed pasties filled with meat, cheese or other ingredients are an ancient custom in Sicily. This type of flatbread, with different fillings, is common throughout the island, changing shape and names: ‘mpanata, scaccia, ‘nfigghiulata, pastizzu, cudduruni, sfinciuni…
A delicious dish characterized by the unmistakable taste of anchovies, pair with a savory and enveloping wine like Vigna di Gabri, or a fresh sparkling wine, with pleasant structure and finesse, like Donnafugata Brut Rosé.
