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Barbajuans
Fried chard and ricotta pastries
Monaco's fried chard and ricotta pastries (barbagiuai)
Barbajuans are Monaco's national snack, little fried pastry pockets of chard, leek and ricotta that come out at every apéritif, and by the hundred on 19 November, the principality's National Day. The name is said to mean 'Uncle John' in the Monegasque dialect, after the cook who first made them. You will also find them in bakeries in Menton and along the Riviera towards Nice. Parmesan usually contains animal rennet; a vegetarian hard cheese works just as well. Chef's tip: roll the dough so thin you can almost see the worktop through it; thick pastry turns chewy instead of crisp.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil3 for the dough, 1 for the filling
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup waterroughly
For the filling
- 14 oz Swiss chard leaves
- 1 leekwhite part, finely chopped
- 5 ½ oz ricottawell drained
- 1 ⅜ oz Parmesanfinely grated, or a vegetarian hard cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp black pepper
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 egg, then enough ¼ cup water to make a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Blanch 14 oz Swiss chard leaves in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, cool under the cold tap, squeeze very dry and chop finely.
4 minStep 3: Fry 1 leek in the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat for 6 minutes, until soft but not browned. Mix with the chard, 5 ½ oz ricotta, 1 ⅜ oz Parmesan, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg and ½ tsp black pepper. Taste; it should be well seasoned.
6 minStep 4: Roll the dough out in two batches, as thinly as you can (1–2 mm), or use a pasta machine. Put teaspoons of filling 4 cm apart along one half of the sheet.
Step 5: Fold the sheet over, press around each mound to push out the air, then cut into half-moons or squares and seal the edges with a fork. Common mistake: trapping air inside; the pockets puff up and burst in the hot oil.
Step 6: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Fry 6–8 barbajuans at a time for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until golden and blistered.
12 minStep 7: Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little salt and serve warm. Unfried, they freeze well on a tray; fry from frozen for an extra minute.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does barbajuans take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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