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| PIZZA EBRAICA DI ERBE
Double Crusted Vegetable Pie Called a Jewish-style pizza, this dish probably has its origins in the Italian south. Here the word pizza is related to the Greek "pitta", a name for filo pies and a term still in use in Apulia, where many dishes reflect a Greek heritage. This recipe calls for "pasta frolla salata", a short pastry that gives a wonderful richness. For the pastry: 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 8 to 10 tabl4espoons chilled unsalted butter or margarine 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 to 4 tablespoons water, or as needed For the filling: Juice of 1 lemon 3 large or 5 medium artichokes Olive oil 1 large onion, diced 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (about 1.3 cup) 1 pound beet greens or spinach, coarsely chopped 2 pounds of English peas, shelled (about 2 cups shelled) 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste 2 eggs, lightly beaten Olive oil or lightly beaten egg for coating pastry To make the pastry, stir together the flour and salt in a bowl or in the container of a food processor. Cut in the butter or margarine until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in the egg and as much water as needed for the dough to come together into a round ball. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, and flatten each portion into a disk. Place the disks in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 1 hour. To make the filling, have ready a large bowl filled with water to which you have added the lemon juice. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove the pale green heart. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the choke from each half. Then cut each half lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and drop into the lemon water to prevent discoloration. Pour enough olive oil into a large saute pan to form a film on the bottom and place over medium heat. Add the onions and parsley and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the artichokes and add to the pan along with the greens and peas. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook slowly until the mixture is almost dry, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, and season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix in the eggs. Preheat an oven to 375F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the larger pastry disk into an 11-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer to a 9- inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Spoon in the filling. Roll out the remaining pastry disk in the same way into a 10-inch round. Carefully place over the filling. Trim any excessive overhang, then turn under the pastry edges and pinch together. Cut a few steam vents in the top crust, and then brush with olive oil or beaten egg. Bake until the crust is golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you are worried about the bottom crust becoming soggy, sprinkle a thin layer of breadcrumbs or matzo meal over the pastry before adding the filling. Alternatively, blind bake the bottom crust for 15 minutes, lining it with pie weights, let cool, and then add the filling. You can use this vegetable filling to substitute any meat pie filling. Source: "Cucina Ebraica, Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen" by Joyce Goldstein (Chronicle Books, San Francisco) Posted to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jewish_Cuisine/ By gabriella_kapsaski@... |