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Pizza chiena
Egg, ricotta and cured pork pie
Pizza chiena: Campania's deep Easter pie of eggs, ricotta, cheeses and cured pork
Pizza chiena ('full pie', also pizza rustica or pizza piena) is baked across Campania on Good Friday and eaten after the Lenten fast ends on Easter Sunday or at the Pasquetta picnic. It is a tall pie of short pastry packed with a filling of eggs, ricotta and grated cheeses, layered with cubes of cured pork: salami, prosciutto, soppressata and sometimes fresh sausage. It is rich, so slices are thin. Chef's tip: bake it the day before and chill it overnight, as it cuts cleanly only once fully set.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 16 oz plain flour
- 4 oz lard or buttercold, diced
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp cold waterabout
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb ricottadrained
- 6 eggs
- 2 ⅛ oz pecorinograted
- 2 ⅛ oz Parmesangrated
- 5 ½ oz provolone or scamorzadiced
- 5 ½ oz Neapolitan salamidiced
- 5 ½ oz prosciutto cotto or crudodiced
- 3 ½ oz soppressata or more salamidiced
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 eggbeaten
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 4 oz lard or butter into 16 oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt, then add 2 eggs and enough 4 tbsp cold water to make a smooth dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Beat 1 ⅛ lb ricotta and 6 eggs until smooth, then stir in 2 ⅛ oz pecorino, 2 ⅛ oz Parmesan, 5 ½ oz provolone or scamorza, 5 ½ oz Neapolitan salami, 5 ½ oz prosciutto cotto or crudo, 3 ½ oz soppressata or more salami and 1 tsp black pepper.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Roll two-thirds of the pastry and line a 24 cm springform tin, letting it come up the sides. Pour in the filling.
Step 4: Roll out the rest, cover the pie (or make a lattice), seal the edges and brush with 1 egg. Prick the top in a few places.
Step 5: Bake for 70–75 minutes, until deep golden and the filling is set: the centre should no longer wobble and read 160°F on a thermometer. Cover with foil if the top browns too fast. A common mistake is cutting it warm: it slumps and weeps.
75 minStep 6: Cool completely, then chill overnight. Serve cool or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pizza chiena take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 lard or butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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