The grandma orsolina pastiera
The recipe comes from Grandma Orsalina. I savored it at the home of Gianna, in the historical center of Forio in one of the most picturesque streets in the country!
But the recipe that Gianna expertly prepares was born in Cierco, the beating heart of the country, the district by the vibrant social fabric, authentic and spontaneous. The Pastiera of Grandma Orsolina was the most popular in the district and publish it today for me is a real satisfaction.
Compared to the traditional recipe, this version adds the custard sacrificing cinnamon instead is absent!
Gianna carefully prepares all the ingredients. At the base is a rich pastry strictly prepared with butter! The custard shows a color so intense.... it will be for fresh eggs from her hens that mounts first with granulated sugar; add sifted flour and then milk and bring to a boil. Wheat is the main character, also much discussed when we worry about then also to ensure the provenance of the ingredients. The grain should be cooked in whole milk along with the lemon peel, butter and a pinch of salt. Gianna has turned over from time to time and it took away from the fire when it was all blended and creamy. The fourth component of the dish more criminal ... oops I mean delicious Neapolitan cuisine is the cream of cheese. Gianna starts from the Roman ricotta and tells me to mount the 15 egg whites which only adds to the end of the proceedings. Before mounting ricotta with sugar, it does so with patience until the sugar is completely dissolved. At this point, add the egg yolk of 20 eggs, one at a time. When everything has cooled Gianna adds to the cream cheese, custard and wheat. We came to the most important part: flavor and aromas of candied cream queen. Here, there is no other similar recipe, is the sense of smell, experience the story of the family that makes the difference. Gianna takes a vial of a wildflower and orange blossom and candied citron and orange uses. Here, the oven at 180° awaits our pastiera and will keep for about an hour! Then you should have the courage to let it rest, in fact, tradition dictates that the pastiera be prepared on Holy Thursday to eat on Easter Sunday. But I confess… I tried it when it was still warm: superb!
Shortcrust Pastry:
+ 1 KG of flour
+ 6 eggs
+ 350 g of sugar
+ 400 g sugar
Custard:
+ 1 liter of whole milk
+ 6 tablespoons of flour
+ 6 tablespoons of sugar
+ 6 egg yolks
Cream of Wheat:
+ 1 kg of wheat precooked
+ 1 liter of whole milk
+ Peel of 1 lemon
+ 1 pinch of salt
Cream cheese:
+ 1 kg of cheese Roman
+ 1 kg of granulated sugar
+ 15 egg white
+ 20 egg yolk