The Recipe We Got You This Month Will Have You Feeling Like You’re Running Your Own Butter Town In No Time. Don’t Believe Us? Look Yourself!
Before the invention of the centrifuge method of separating fat from the liquid components of milk, people faced difficulties in manufacturing and storing butter in warmer climates. Such as Italy’s, made it an item of conspicuous consumption, on par with spices and sugar, all expressions of a patron’s wealth.
The allure of butter has been very evident in Italian cookbooks of the Middle Ages, but the Renaissance has been its golden age. This was considered the last vestige of the great Italian Renaissance culinary tradition, which was thereafter completely overshadowed by the hegemony of French gastronomic sophistication. Another factor to secure the use of butter and its association with luxury. Thus, to relive the moment, we have got you covered a recipe, dive right in!
BUTTERY PEA PIE
If fresh spring peas are a marvel in themselves, butter transforms them into a comfort food extraordinaire. This decadent dish takes that concept to exaggerated heights.
INGREDIENTS
PASTA FROLLA SALATA
• 120g cubed cold butter
• 250g flour
• 1 whole egg, one yolk
• 20g grated parmesan
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• melted butter to brush
• sugar for sprinkling
FILLING
• 350g fresh peas or frozen baby peas (cooked)
• 50g minced citron peel (or a tsp of grated lemon zest)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 50g butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 100g grated parmesan
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100ml cream
HOW TO BAKE?
1. Evenly distribute the cubes of butter on the flour in a food processor. Add salt and pulse to get a grainy texture. Mix the parmesan and the egg together, with the machine on, and pour it through a feed tube until the mixture just starts assembling together.
2. Remove the dough from the container. Form two disks, one smaller than the other.
3. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1/2 hour.
4. Prepare the filling: Put all of the filling ingredients except the citron in a food processor and blend to a cream. Stir in the citron.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
6. Roll out the larger disk to fit a well-buttered 23cm tart pan. This will require pressing and adjusting.
7. Dock the pie shell with a fork and pre-bake it for 15 minutes until dry but not browning.
8. Roll out the other piece of dough and cut leaf shapes or other decorations of your choice.
9. Fill the prepared crust and arrange the leaves on top. Brush generously with melted butter.
10. Bake for 1/2 hour. If the top crust begins to get brown, tent it with foil and continue to bake it for another 15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar.
12. Let it cool in the pan just enough to assure that the walls become sturdy.
13. Free the pie and serve it hot. It is also good at room temperature or cold it the next day
