TORTA RUSTICA. 35. Copyright 2011 The Mobile Home Gourmet, MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.

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Emil Lawrence
6 years ago
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1 TORTA RUSTICA Serves 10 to 12 By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a recipe in Southern Italian Cooking by Jo Bettoja Tell people you are going to make salami pie and they will look at you like something in your head rattled loose. However, when they taste the pie they ll wonder how they ever doubted you. I am famous, at least in my community, for my Salami Pie. This is a delicious savory pie that can be served as a snack, a side dish, or a main dish. Ingredients: For the Filling: 1 pound (450g) ricotta cheese 1 cup (135g) Parmesan or Romano cheese; grated 2 ounces (60g) Gruyère cheese; diced ½ pound (225g) provolone cheese; diced ½ pound (225g) mozzarella cheese; diced 5 ounces (150g) ham; chopped ¼ pound (115g) Genoa salami, chopped Freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 large eggs For the Pastry Shell: 3½ cups sifted (16 oz/450g) all-purpose flour (see note at end) ¾ cup (150g) sugar 7/8 cup (200g) cold butter; cut into pieces 2 large eggs plus 1 egg white 2 tablespoons dry white wine 1 egg yolk; beaten with 2 teaspoons water and ¼ teaspoon salt to make an egg yolk wash Directions: Assemble the filling first. If the ricotta cheese looks too moist it can be spread on several layers of paper towels with more paper towels pressed on top and set aside for half an hour to let the towels absorb excess moisture. Place the ricotta cheese in a large bowl with all the remaining filling ingredients and combine. Cover with plastic and set aside. Refrigerate if making well in advance. Combine the flour, sugar, butter, 2 eggs, the egg white, and the wine and knead until smooth, about a minute or two. Divide the dough into 1/3 and 2/3 portions. Wrap the small portion and refrigerate. Roll the larger portion until large enough to line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan (about 14 inches (36cm) in diameter). Gently place the dough in the pan, easing and pressing the sides to come up to the top of the pan. Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C) Fill the dough shell with the filling mixture, smoothing the top with a spoon. Roll the smaller portion of dough to fit into the springform pan. Crimp around the edges and form a decorative pattern. Dough scraps can be cut into leaves or other shapes to decorate the top. Brush the top with the egg yolk wash. Bake 50 minutes. Allow to cool 15 minutes. Separate the sides of the springform pan (you might need to use a knife to loosen around the edges) and then close the pan again. Let cool 1 to 1½ hours before serving. This pie can also be served room temperature or chilled. The Step By Step guide begins on the following page

This is high in calories. 2 These are the ingredients for the pastry shell.

2 1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 These are the ingredients for the filling. With all that cheese and salami, I would hardly call this Torta Rustica Light. This is high in calories. 2 These are the ingredients for the pastry shell. The small amount of white wine (center front) is odd for a pie dough, but the original recipe contained this ingredient and I have made this dough enough times to see that it makes no difference.

This is not a smooth filling, so don t be surprised at how chunky it looks.

3 3 3 Place all the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 4 Mix until everything is combined. This is not a smooth filling, so don t be surprised at how chunky it looks. Naturally, the smaller you dice your cheese and meat, the smoother the filling. I think a chunky filling has more texture and therefore more interest.

This will be used to make an egg yolk wash to coat the top of the pie before going

4 5 4 Place the pasty ingredients in a bowl. Separate one of the eggs and set the yolk aside. This will be used to make an egg yolk wash to coat the top of the pie before going into the oven. 6 Combine all the pastry ingredients with a spoon. You will not get this mixture smooth. It will need to be kneaded to fully incorporate all the ingredients.

To prevent this, wrap the dough and place in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes before working with it.

5 7 5 Here is the dough after kneading. This dough did not require a long kneading time. I only knead it for a minute or two. If your kitchen is really warm, the butter could start to melt and give the dough an oily texture. To prevent this, wrap the dough and place in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes before working with it. 8 Divide the dough into roughly 1/3 and 2/3 portions. The smaller portion will be used to shape the top crust. Wrap the smaller piece in plastic and set aside (refrigerate if your kitchen is warm).

dough. 10 Although I own a good rolling pin, I have yet to remove the label from it.

6 9 6 I like to use parchment paper when making pie crusts. It sticks to the surface less, is easy to flip over, and I can spin it around easily as I shape the dough. 10 Although I own a good rolling pin, I have yet to remove the label from it. I ve been shaping pie crusts with my hands for so many years, I don t even think about the rolling pin. That is why the crust above does not have a smooth surface.

I gently fold the edges inward and then place the dough in the pan.

7 11 7 Trying to move a large flat disk of pliable dough into a deep springform pan can be a challenge. The first few times I tried it, the dough tore. Then I learned the trick above. I gently fold the edges inward and then place the dough in the pan. Then I can unfold it and press the dough against the sides of the pan, easing in the excess as I work with it. 12 Here is my pie shell in my springform pan, ready for the filling.

Pinch the dough to the top edges of the shell around the inside of the pan, and then press into a decorative edge if you

8 13 8 Spoon the filling mixture into the shell, smoothing the top when finished. 14 Shape the top crust with the a piece of dough you set aside earlier. Pinch the dough to the top edges of the shell around the inside of the pan, and then press into a decorative edge if you prefer. I used the extra dough I trimmed from around the edge to cut little leaf-shaped decorations. Beat the egg yolk (set aside earlier) with 1 or 2 teaspoons of water and about ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth to make an egg yolk wash.

Don t try to use up all the wash. The coating should be thin. 16 Bake in a 375 F (190 C) oven for 50 minutes.

9 15 9 Using a pastry brush, paint the top crust with the egg yolk wash. Press any dough decorations you created onto the top crust. Then paint again with more wash. Don t try to use up all the wash. The coating should be thin. 16 Bake in a 375 F (190 C) oven for 50 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes and then loosen the outer ring. Tighten the ring again (to hold the pie together it is liquid cheese inside) and let cool thoroughly.

17 10 This savory pie can be served at room temperature for cold from the refrigerator. If heated, the cheese inside will melt and might result in a gooey, stringy mess when cut.

10 17 10 This savory pie can be served at room temperature for cold from the refrigerator. If heated, the cheese inside will melt and might result in a gooey, stringy mess when cut. With all the meat and cheese inside, a little goes a long way. Although elegant looking, this dish works just as well at a potluck as it does for a special occasion. Conclusion I love savory pies. The amount of work is moderate compared to the fantastic results. Unlike a fragile pie (think lemon meringue or cream pie), this pie travels well when cold from the refrigerator. It is therefore a common choice when I am asked to provide something for a potluck or picnic. Note I always weigh my flour when baking. If you saw the video of this recipe you saw that I had to correct the flour/moisture ratio. One of my pet peeves is that too many cookbook recipes go untested before they are published. Bettoja s formula for this pie crust isn t even close. Ultimately I adjusted the flour to 3½ cups because I saw no reason to waste the egg white from the separated egg. So I added it to the pasty. This allowed some extra dough for trimming that could be used to decorate the top.

LAMB AND SAUSAGE PIE. 53. Copyright 2011 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.

LAMB AND SAUSAGE PIE. 53. Copyright 2011 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved. LAMB AND SAUSAGE PIE Makes 1 pie, serves 10 to 12 By Dennis W. Viau; inspired by a recipe in a food magazine. Lamb and Sausage Pie is probably the most delicious savory pie I make. I like meat pies, especially