“Pizza Chiena”

Rustic pizza, also known as “pizza chiena”, is an Easter recipe popular across the southern Italian regions of Campania, Puglia and Basilicata. Despite the name, you’ll notice that it’s not so much a pizza but more a cross between a quiche and a pie. An egg-based  of filling of several Italian cheeses and cured meats is surrounded by a  pizza dough crust  (or pastry, depending on  the region). Our version here hails from Campania. Traditionally, the pie is prepared on Good Friday so it has time to cool, ready to be eaten over the Easter weekend .

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH

500 gr. of  flour

2 spoons of lard

Salt as required

Pepper as required

Water 350  ml.

METHOD

First of all mix all ingredients for the dough.

Place flour salt,pepper and lard in a bowl,ad the water a little at a time and carry on mixing until the dough comes together and make it into a  ball.

Cut the dough down into two halves and roll out the two parts with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1 cm. Grease a baking tray with olive oil then  dust with flour. Carefully  line the baking tray with one of the two  parts of rolled out dough.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FILLING

5  eggs

3 parmesan spoonfulls

200 dl of seasoned sheep ricotta

500 g of sheep milk cheese

150 g of salami

150 g of sausages

150 g bacon 

250 g of  sheep’s milk cheese

150 g of galbani cheese

Pepper as required

Salt as required

Oil 1 spoonful

Egg yolk 1

METHOD

Whisk the eggs and add parmesan, ricotta, salt, pepper and milk, until they from a mixture similar to an omelette.

Make the pizza rustica by adding the various layers: 2 ladles of wised eggs, a layer of bacon, one of sheep’s milk cheese, one of salami, one of galbani cheese, one of sausage, then add more ladles of wisked eggs.

Place the top of the pizza lid over with the other layer dough and crimp he adges with a fork to seal. Run the fork around the edge again to achieve a nice neat finish.

Brush with the egg yolk or with olive oil to glaze the top of the pizza rustica.

Bake in a hot static oven at 160° for about 50  minutes in the medium-low part of the until the pizza rustica  is cooked through and golden brown.

Leave the pizza rustica to cooll, after that you

can slice and finally taste it, Enjoy!!!

“Pastiera  Napoletana”

Originally from Naples, the pastiera Napoletana has become a firm favourite throughout Italy during the Easter period.

Like all  good recipes, the origins are legendary. Some attribute it to one of the  convents in Naples, while others claim that, like the city of Naples itself, it has pagan Greek origins.

Whatever the truth, the ingredients:ricotta cheese, orange flower water,vanilla perfectly evoke the flavours and scents of spring in the bay of Naples.

 The original recipe calls for pre-cooked wheat grains, which are available all over Italy at Easter time.

INGREDIENTS FOR

SHORTCRUST PASTRY

250g of plain flour

100g sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp of vanilla

100g of unsalted butter

METHOD FOR THE PASTRY

Begin by making the pastry.Place the flour, sugar and butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingers until it has the consistency of  breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and mix with your hands until the mixture comes together to form a dough.

Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FILLING

380g of grano cotto

200 ml of milk

40g of  unsalted butter

1 lemon rind

3 eggs

300g of sugar

300g of ricotta

20g of orange blossom water

METHOD

Place the grano cotto in a saucepan and add the milk, butter and lemon rind.

Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring all the time until cooked ( this will take about 20-25 minutes).

Remov the lemon zest. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Place the eggs in a bowl with the sugar and whisk unil the eggs turn pale.

Place the ricotta cheese in a blender and blitz until it has the consistency of whipped cream. Add it to the egg and sugar mixture, folding it in with a spatula.

Add the cooled wheat mixture, orange flower water into the ricotta mixture. Stir together until combined and put to one side.

Preheat the oven  to 160°C and butter a 24 cm diameter cake tin.

Roll out the pastry, carefully lining the cake tin. Prick the bottom with a fork and pour in the filling, trimming the pastry from the edges of the tin  to leave a neat edge. Reserve any spare pastry  to decorate.

Roll out the spare pastry into an even layer.. Using a pasta wheel, cut 8 strips long onough to be placed across the cake tin. Place 4 of them across the top of the pastier in on direction and then place the other  4 diagonally to create lozenge shapes.

Trim the edges of the strips against the edge of  the tin and place the pastiera in the oven to bake for 1 hour. After this time, cover the top with a piece of tin foil and cook for another 20 minutes.

Serve the pastiera cold with a good quality Italian vine like Passito or Malvasia or Falanghina. It make a lovely Easter breakfast, accompaniment to afternoon tea o desert.