Pasteis de Atum — Print Recipe

Flaky pastry turnovers filled with seasoned tuna, onions, and tomatoes. A popular Cape Verdean snack from Portuguese heritage.

Ingredients

For filling: 400g canned tuna (drained and flaked), 2 medium onions (finely diced), 2 tomatoes (seeded and diced), 1 green bell pepper (finely diced), 2 cloves garlic (minced), 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped), salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp olive oil
For dough: 400g all-purpose flour, 1 egg, 60ml water, 60ml oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder
Oil for deep-frying

Instructions

1 Prepare the filling first by heating olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onions for three minutes, then add the garlic, green pepper, and tomatoes. Cook for another five minutes until the vegetables are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated.
2 Add the drained, flaked tuna to the skillet and break it up with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the chopped coriander, and cook for two more minutes. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool completely before assembling.
3 Make the dough by combining the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Create a well in the centre and add the egg, water, and oil. Mix with a fork, then knead on a floured surface for about five minutes until smooth and elastic.
4 Divide the dough into golf-ball-sized pieces. Roll each piece out on a floured surface into a thin circle, about twelve centimetres in diameter and two millimetres thick. The thinner the dough, the crispier the finished pasteis will be.
5 Place about two tablespoons of the cooled tuna filling on one half of each dough circle. Fold the other half over to create a half-moon shape, pressing the edges firmly together. Seal by pressing with a fork along the curved edge.
6 Heat oil for deep-frying to one hundred and seventy-five degrees Celsius. Fry the pasteis in batches of three or four, turning once, for about four minutes until they are evenly golden brown and crispy on both sides.
7 Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve the pasteis de atum warm as a snack or appetiser. They are traditionally eaten on their own without a dipping sauce to let the seasoned tuna flavour shine.