Erbazzone Reggiano

Ingredients

• 300 g 00 flour
• 40 g lard (strutto), plus extra for brushing
• 150 ml warm water
• 5 g fine salt
• 1.2 kg chard leaves
• 80 g pancetta, finely diced
• 60 g lardo or fatty pancetta, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 90 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Rub the lard into the flour and salt with your fingertips.
• Work in the warm water to make a smooth dough, then wrap it and rest it for 30 minutes.
• Wash the chard, strip the leaves from the stalks and shred them.
• Dice the pancetta and chop the lardo finely.

Steps

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the chard for 4 minutes.
2. Drain the chard, then squeeze it hard in a clean cloth until no more water runs out.
3. Chop the squeezed chard roughly.
4. Put the lardo in a large frying pan over medium heat and let it melt for 2 minutes.
5. Add the spring onions and cook them for 5 minutes, until soft.
6. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
7. Add the chopped chard and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, to dry it out.
8. Take the pan off the heat and leave the mixture to cool.
9. Stir in the Parmigiano and parsley, then season with salt and plenty of pepper.
10. Heat the oven to 200°C and grease a 24 cm tin with lard.
11. Roll two thirds of the dough out very thinly and line the tin, letting the edges overhang.
12. Spread the filling evenly over the pastry.
13. Scatter the diced pancetta over the top.
14. Roll out the remaining dough, lay it over the filling and pinch the edges together to seal.
15. Push the pastry gently in from the sides so the top wrinkles into loose creases.
16. Prick the top all over with a fork and brush it with a little melted lard.
17. Bake for 35 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp.
18. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.