Emilia-Romagna
A flat, savoury tart from the Reggio Emilia area — a very thin double crust of lard-enriched pastry filled with blanched spinach or chard, Parmigiano Reggiano, lard-fried onion, garlic and eggs. Baked until the thin crust is crisp and the filling is set. Traditionally round, sold by the kilo at Reggiano bakeries, eaten warm or at room temperature as a snack or meal.
Savoury, eggy, slightly bitter from the greens; Parmigiano adds crystalline umami; lard gives the pastry a distinctive crispness; the filling is almost custard-like — Reggiano baking at its finest
{"Use lard (strutto) in both the pastry and the filling — butter changes the fundamental character of the dish","Blanch and squeeze the greens very dry — excess moisture steams the pastry base from inside and prevents crisping","Roll the pastry to 1.5–2mm — it should be almost translucently thin; this is what distinguishes erbazzone from a heavier vegetable pie","Fry the onion in lard until deeply golden before mixing with the greens — raw onion in the filling gives a harsh, unintegrated flavour","Score the top crust with a fork in a grid pattern — this prevents puffing and allows steam to escape"}
{"The traditional version includes a small amount of lard (cut in small pieces) folded into the filling — these melt during baking and enrich the filling","A generous grating of Parmigiano on top of the filling before placing the top crust gives a savoury crust layer inside","Erbazzone eaten the day after baking (reheated 5 minutes in a 180°C oven) is noticeably better — the filling settles and the pastry absorbs its moisture"}
{"Butter instead of lard — the crust loses its characteristic crispness and savoury depth","Wet greens — the most common failure; they steam the crust from inside rather than baking it","Thick pastry — erbazzone should be almost a flat cracker with filling, not a deep dish"}
La Cucina Reggiana — Parmigiano, Prosciutto e Tradizione