Elizabeth Hewson’s quick prosciutto flat pie recipe
This flat pie is an excellent savoury accompaniment for your morning break. It takes inspiration from Mattonella Palermitana, a rustic puff pastry pie from Sicily.
We recently had the pleasure of escaping the city for a farm stay, where for one beautiful week we adopted the slow life. Even though we weren’t occupied with working the land, we did as the country folk do so well, and made time each mid-morning to come together for a cup of something hot and a bite of something baked. It made me remember how much I love the ritual of morning tea; a time to slow down after the chaos of the morning, all still with the promise of a full day ahead. Of course, most days, this idea feels unattainable, but sometimes it’s just what we need.
If you like this try:
- David Herbert’s asparagus and ricotta tart
- Elizabeth Hewson’s caremlised apple tart
- A buttery, puffy tart to celebrate the humble spud
This prosciutto and bitter greens flat pie is an excellent savoury accompaniment for your morning break. It takes inspiration from Mattonella Palermitana, a rustic puff pastry pie from Sicily. Mattonella means tile – which, when baked, this pastry is thought to resemble. Typically, you’ll find ham, mozzarella or provolone on it, and a little tomato sauce, all enveloped in puff pastry dusted with sesame seeds. While I have enjoyed it this way, one day I found myself with an abundance of bitter greens needing a home. Together with drapes of prosciutto, they found their way into this flaky, flat pie.
I love bitter greens, and while the name “bitter” doesn’t have the best connotations, they are brilliant to transform dishes and pack in flavour. The trick to managing the bitterness is knowing how to tame their flavour. Working with fats such as olive oil, dairy, cured meats (such as prosciutto, like I have here) and acid is key to creating balance and harmony. My go-to bitter greens include mustard greens, puntarelle, cime di rapa and watercress. For something milder and more readily available, try kale, silver beet, spinach or rocket.
For a sweet alternative, try my wholemeal carrot cake.
Prosciutto and bitter greens pie
The size of the pastry doesn’t matter too much here — the important thing is that you’ll need two large pieces, on ethat is slightly bigger than the other. Feel free to experiment with different filling combinations.
Ingredients
- 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry, roughly 27cm x 20cm each
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 120g Provolone, grated
- 50g Parmigano Reggiano, grated
- 60g sour cream or cream fraiche
- Zest 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 50g bitter greens, finely sliced
- 40g breadcrumbs or panko crumbs
- 1 egg, whisked
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).
- Depending on the brand of puff pastry you have, either cut the sheet in half so you have two rectangles, then roll one out so it is slightly bigger than the other (this will be your lid). Or if you have two sheets of puff pastry squares, roll them out slightly to form two rectangles, making sure one is slightly bigger than the other. Prick the smaller rectangle with a fork, then place on a baking paper lined tray. This will be the base of your pie. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until starting to puff and become golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, combine both grated cheeses in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream and lemon zest and season well.
- When the pastry is cool, sprinkle over half your breadcrumbs, leaving a 1cm border. Follow by half your cheese, then drape prosciutto across the pie, making sure to respect that 1cm border. Dollop and carefully spread over your sour cream mix. Top with greens, remaining cheese and finish with remaining breadcrumbs. Place your uncooked pastry rectangle on top and seal edges using a fork dusted in flour (to avoid the fork sticking to pastry). Brush pie with beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Sit for five minutes before slicing into six tiles. Serves 4-6