Silverbeet and taleggio crostata
“Keep the silverbeet stalks for a spring minestrone. Mum always said it was the stalks that were the secret to her minestrone, adding flavour without complicating the other vegetables.” — Guy Mirabella
SERVES 4
1 egg lightly beaten together with 1 tablespoon of milk, for brushing the pastry
3 tablespoons mixed seeds, such as sesame, poppy and fennel
sour cream pastry
200g chilled salted butter
250g (1⅔ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
80ml (⅓ cup) sour cream
filling
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
30g salted butter
1 brown onion, diced
1 leek, halved lengthways, rinsed and sliced into 5 mm (¼ in) discs
1 bunch silverbeet (Swiss chard), stalks removed
400g baby English spinach leaves
4 eggs, whisked
375g (1½ cups) smooth ricotta
200g taleggio, torn into small pieces
45g pecorino, freshly grated
30g (1 cup) flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
simple cos salad
2 small cos (romaine) lettuces, trimmed and halved lengthways
juice of ½ lemon
extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle
white-wine vinegar, to drizzle
1 tablespoon baby capers
pecorino, freshly grated, to serve
To make the pastry, pulse the butter and flour in a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse until the dough just comes together to just form a ball. Press down on the dough to form a flat disc, then wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
For the filling, heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a low heat, then gently fry the onion and leek until soft, about 8–10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Boil the silverbeet leaves for 3 minutes in a large saucepan of salted water. Remove the leaves and squeeze out any water. Blanch the spinach in the same water for around 1 minute, then squeeze out any water and set aside.
Combine the cooked onion, leek, silverbeet, spinach, egg, ricotta, taleggio, pecorino, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a large baking tray and line it with baking paper.
To assemble the tart, on a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into an oval shape, roughly measuring 33 × 52 cm and 5 mm thick. Place the pastry on the prepared baking tray. Spread the filling over the base of the pastry, leaving a 7–10 cm edge around it. Gently fold the outer edge of the pastry up and over the top of the filling and press softly with both hands. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and milk and sprinkle the seeds on top. Bake for 45 minutes–1 hour, or until the top is set and golden brown.
Serve the tart warm with a salad of cos lettuce drizzled with the lemon juice, oil and vinegar and sprinkled with the baby capers and a light dusting of pecorino.
This is an edited extract from Pranzo by Guy Mirabella, Hardie Grant Books, RRP $70.
