Pastiera Napolitana
March 30th, 2009
Pastiera Napoletana
I make this tart every Easter, and only at Easter, despite pleas to make an exception “just this once”. I think it tastes better if eaten only at Easter.
Some people would say turkey always tastes better at Christmas, but nothing, to my mind, could make turkey taste better – other than exchanging it for duck.
The pastiera is made in Naples and throughout the region of Campania. Families may make up to five or six to share with visitors over the Easter period and to take on picnics on the Pasqua, or ‘little Easter’ celebrated on Easter Monday.
I make only one, and it’s usually devoured by Easter Sunday.
Georgio Locatelli says of the tart …
‘The combination of ingredients may seem strange but they are associated with ancient Roman celebrations of the rite of spring; flowers, eggs for new life, ricotta from the ewes, wheat and flour from the land…One of the many legends associated with the dish involves the siren Partenope…she lived in the Gulf of Naples and to celebrate the arrival of spring she would come and sing to the inhabitants.
One year, to say thank you for her songs, they offered her local gifts – ricotta, flour, eggs, wheat, perfumed orange flowers and spices. She was so delighted she took them to her kingdom under the sea where the Gods mixed them together into a cake.’
I give Locatelli’s recipe which I have modified.
I use pearl barley instead of wheat as the particular sort of wheat required is only sold in some Italian shops, and only at this time of year, and I am not a purist.
I use a twenty-six centimetre flan tin and I buy the sweet shortcrust pastry.
Line tin, bake blind and cool.
Preheat your oven to around 160 degrees (fan forced)
75 g pearl barley, boiled until tender
500 g fresh sweet ricotta
4 tsp orange flower water
½ tsp grated lemon rind
200 g caster sugar
50 g chopped candied citron (or orange peel)
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites whisked until stiff but not dry
Drain off as much of the liquid from the ricotta as you can. Mix it with the orange flower water, grated lemon rind, sugar, candied citron and four egg yokes. Add the drained barley and mix. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Fill the pastry flan shell. Use left over pastry to make a lattice over the ricotta mixture. Bake for about an hour or until coloured. If a skewer comes out clean, take it out of the oven, cool in the tin, serve dusted with icing sugar with a strong Italian coffee on the side and a thank you to Partenope.
Georgio Locatelli, Made in Italy: Food and Stories, Fourth Estate, London, 2006
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Categories: Food | Tags: Food, Italy, myths, Naples | 4 Comments
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