Schiacciata with Salmoriglio sauce
Sicilian style pastie
Serves 4
For the dough:
1kg strong 00 pasta flour*
400ml water
300ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Mix these ingredients together slowly to create a dough. If necessary, you may need to add a little more water.
For the filling:
500g minced beef (not too lean)
3 corn cobs, cut into kernels
½ bunch chopped oregano
3 chillis, finely chopped
200g grated parmesan
15g paprika
100ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Place the beef in a mixing bowl, add all the other filling ingredients to it and mix gently to create the filling mixture. Season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the dough into 2 pieces and roll separately to about 1cm thickness. Generously grease a baking dish and put one piece of the dough on the bottom. Place the pie filling on the dough and cover with the second piece of rolled out dough. Crinkle the edges to ensure there are no gaps and brush the top with olive oil. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crunchy. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and then cut into slices.
The Schiacciata can then be drizzled or served with salmoriglio.
Salmoriglio sauce
Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
100ml olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
This is a southern Italian sauce for grilled meats. The word salmoriglio derives from the Sicilian salmurigghiu, which means a light brine – and there is indeed some salt in it, though the primary ingredient is lemon juice. You use the sauce to flavor any sort of grilled meat or fish, from chops (lamb, pork, or steak) through to elegant fish, including salmon or swordfish. In short, it’s very versatile. This can also be used to marinate your cuts of food for approximately 30 minutes before grilling. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and use how you please.
* A higher protein flour available in specialty food outlets.