Pastiera

Method

1. For the pastry: sift the flour onto a work surface. Make a hollow in the centre and add the sugar.

2. Chop the lard into small pieces and add to the flour and sugar.

3. Lightly beat the egg, egg yolk and vanilla essence together and pour into the centre of the dry ingredients. Using a fork, gradually mix the ingredients, drawing in the flour from the sides until the mixture comes together as a dough. Knead the dough with your hands until it is soft.

4. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

5. For the filling: soak the flour in enough milk to moisten, mix in the cinnamon, lemon zest and half a teaspoon of the sugar and allow to soak for 15 minutes.

6. Put the ricotta in a large bowl with the rest of the sugar and the candied fruit, then add the milk-soaked flour mixture and mix well.

7. For the crema: separate the egg yolks from the whites and set each aside.

8. Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5.

9. Bring the milk to the boil in a medium saucepan and add the cornflour. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until the cornflour has dissolved and the milk has thickened. Let the mixture cool slightly before beating in the egg yolks. Add the orange flower water and mandarino liqueur. Fold the crema into the ricotta mixture.

10. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them into the ricotta mixture.

11. Roll out the pastry to line a 30cm flan dish. Pour in the ricotta mixture and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve cold.

Cook’s note:
Matthew recommends sheep’s milk ricotta for authenticity, but you could substitute cow’s milk ricotta, if necessary.

Cedro is the candied peel of the citron, a thick-skinned citrus fruit. If you can’t find it, you can use candied lemon or grapefruit peel instead.

Comments                        add a comment

Is the oven temperature really 190? My pastiera started to burn after less than 40 minutes and had to be rescued.

Ingredients

For the pastry

350g plain flour
150g Sugar
100g lard
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence

For the filling

100g plain flour
Milk, for soaking
pinch ground Cinnamon
1 piece thinly pared lemon zest
100g Sugar
200g sheep's milk Ricotta cheese, (see Cook’s note below)
250g candied fruit, including cedro and pumpkin (see Cook’s note below)

For the crema

3 Eggs
200ml Milk
1 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp orange flower water
2 tbsp Mandarino liqueur

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