Erbazzone Reggiano di Bietola e Parmigiano
Reggio Emilia
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The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna
II
Description
The savoury pie of Reggio Emilia: a thin, olive oil and lard short pastry encases a filling of blanched beet greens (or spinach), lightly sautéed with garlic and lard, bound with egg and a very generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano. Baked flat (like a tart, not raised) until the pastry is golden. The erbazzone can be made with or without a top crust; the version without (a single-crust 'open face') reveals the dark green filling. It is the Reggiano working-class lunch, found at every chiosco (kiosk) in the province.
III
The Thread
—Greens baked in pastry with cheese and egg — the Ligurian tradition with more layers and artichoke Ligurian
—Greens and hard cheese baked in a pastry shell — the Hellenic tradition parallel to Reggiano erbazzone Greek
—Swiss chard baked in pastry with aged hard cheese — the Provençal tradition at the other end of the Alps French · (Provence)
IV
Flavour Context
Dark green, Parmigiano-rich, lard-enriched greens in a golden short pastry crust — the Reggiano worker's pie, deceptively simple, deeply satisfying
Pillars V — VII
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