Erbazzone Reggiano

Ingredients

• For the pastry
• 300 g plain flour
• 80 g lard, cold, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 80 ml cold water, added gradually
• For the filling
• 1 kg Swiss chard (bietole), leaves and tender stems
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 60 g lard, rendered, for sautéing
• 80 g pancetta, diced; optional
• 120 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
• 1 tsp fine salt, adjust to taste
• To finish
• 30 g lard, melted, for brushing the top

Method

1. 1
   Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water a little at a time, working the dough only until it coheres into a smooth, firm ball — it must not be sticky. Divide into two equal pieces, wrap, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it is supple but holds a clean edge when cut.
2. 2
   Blanch the Swiss chard in well-salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, refresh briefly under cold water, and squeeze with both hands — repeatedly and firmly — until no further moisture can be extracted. Chop very fine. The chard must be dry enough to leave the chopping board clean.
3. 3
   In a wide pan over medium heat, render the lard. If using pancetta, add it first and cook until the fat runs. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute further. Add the chopped chard and raise the heat: cook, stirring, until every trace of visible moisture has evaporated from the pan. This is where the dish lives or dies — residual moisture in the filling will prevent the bottom crust from crisping and the whole structure will collapse. The pan should appear dry and the chard should sizzle, not steam.
4. 4
   Remove the filling from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt — the filling must be assertively seasoned, as the thin pastry contributes little flavour of its own.
5. 5
   Heat the oven to 220 °C. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough to 2–3 mm — cracker-thin, not pie-crust thick. Line a lightly greased shallow rectangular or round baking tin (approximately 30 × 40 cm) with the first sheet, allowing a slight overhang. Spread the filling evenly to the edges. Lay the second sheet over the top and press the edges together to seal, trimming any excess. The pastry should conform closely to the filling with no air pockets.
6. 6
   Brush the entire surface of the top crust generously with melted lard. Score a diamond or crosshatch pattern across the top with a sharp knife, cutting through the pastry at regular intervals. The scoring is not decorative in origin — it allows steam to escape; an unscored top will balloon and collapse.
7. 7
   Bake at 220 °C for 25 to 30 minutes. The erbazzone is done when the crust is deeply golden — not pale gold but amber — and the surface is shatteringly crisp when tapped with a knuckle. A pale crust signals underbaking; the pastry will be leathery rather than cracker-crisp.
8. 8
   Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve warm or at room temperature. The lard-based pastry holds well wrapped at room temperature for up to one day.