Erbazzone Reggiano

Erbazzone (also called scarpazzone in some dialects) is a savoury pie from Reggio Emilia — a thin, crisp pastry crust enclosing a filling of Swiss chard (bietole), onion, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lard, and sometimes pancetta. It is the quintessential Reggiano street food, sold in slices from bakeries and market stalls, eaten at room temperature or warm, and served as antipasto, merenda (afternoon snack), or light supper. The pastry is a simple unleavened dough of flour, lard, salt, and water — rolled very thin so that it crisps in the oven into something closer to a cracker than a pie crust. The filling is cooked before assembly: the chard is blanched, squeezed dry, and sautéed with onion, garlic, and rendered lard or pancetta, then mixed with generous Parmigiano-Reggiano. The assembled erbazzone is brushed with lard on top (the traditional finish, though modern versions may use olive oil) and scored with a pattern of cuts that allow steam to escape and create a decorative pattern. Baked at high heat until the crust is deeply golden and shatteringly crisp. Erbazzone is deeply tied to the agricultural calendar of the Reggiano countryside — it is made when the chard is in season, it uses lard from the autumn pig slaughter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano from the local caseifici. It is poor food made rich by the quality of its ingredients and the skill of its assembly.

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• Ligurian