I borrowed Nigella Lawson’s Domestic Goddess book from a good friend. Since then, I've been itching to try recipes from her book. Her writing style is so encouraging for home cooks like me because of the simplicity of the recipes, very easy to follow instructions, and elegant presentation of each dish.
For me, Pizza Rustica is like a big Calzone but with a thinner crust.
I followed the book’s recipe for the pastry but I improvised for the filling.
Pizza Rustica
Serves: 8-10
For the Pastry: (Domestic Goddess, page 86 Pies)
Please note that my comments are in parenthesis after some of the ingredients.
250 g plain flour, preferably Italian 00 (I used all purpose flour)
125 g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 cm cubes
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp iced water (but you can add a little more if the dough is dry)
1 heaped tsp salt
1 Tbsp caster sugar (I used brown sugar and it worked well too)
22 cm, Springform tin, buttered
Instructions:
Put the flour and butter in a dish, and put this dish in the deep freeze for 10 minutes. Stir together the yolks, water and salt in a cup, and put this cup in the fridge. Then, when time’s up, tip the flour and butter into the bowl of the processor, add the sugar and pulse to combine: you want a soft crumbly mass, somewhere between sand and porridge oats. Bind with the egg yolks, water and salt, and when it looks like it’s on the verge of coming together (you have to stop slightly short of this actual happening), tip the pastry out and wodge (Mitch's note: wodge means to lump) it together with your hands. Don’t worry though, if the pastry is a little too damp: I find one of the miracles of this pre-freezing pastry technique is that it makes it more foolproof on every level. It always seems to roll out well.
Divide into two discs, one somewhat larger than the other, and put both into the fridge to rest wrapped in clingfilm.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/gas mark 6, put in a baking sheet, and get on with the filling.
For Filling: (This is now my own recipe using ingredients on hand).
1 Tbsp Olive oil
½ Kilo ground chicken (you can also ground beef or pork)
250 g minced bacon
1 medium sized minced onion
2 Tbsp red wine (optional)
5 cloves of roasted garlic (I love garlic so you might find five too
much and you can use less to suit your taste)
3 medium sized minced tomatoes (seeds removed)
3 Tbsp chopped basil
1/3 Cup minced mushrooms
½ Cup mild Cheddar cheese
½ Cup Quick melt cheese
¼ Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs
Instructions:
Fry the ground chicken and bacon in the oil for 6 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, tomato and mushroom. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Let it cool then add the rest of the ingredients except the breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly.
Assembling the pie:
Egg wash: 1 egg white, 1 Tbsp milk, and pinch of salt (mix them together)
Roll out the larger disc of dough and put it inside the springform to cover the bottom and sides, allow the dough to overhang. Sprinkle evenly the bread crumbs on the bottom of the pasty-lined pan then, fill it up with the filling.
Roll out the smaller disc of dough and place it on top of the filled pie, turn over the edges of the overhang bottom dough to form a border.
Before baking, brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and make steam holes by poking the pie with the prongs of a fork.
Put the pie on the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for ten minutes at 200 degrees C/gas mark 6, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4, and bake for another 35-45 minutes.
Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
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