Neapolitan pastiera with custard

LET’S GET COOKING

Method

1. 1

   Put the wheat in a saucepan with 125 ml milk, the salt, butter and lemon zest. Cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove the zest and leave to cool.

2. 2

   For the pastry cream, mix 2 egg yolks with 100 g sugar and 40 g flour, then gradually stir in 250 ml milk. Cook gently, stirring, until thickened. Transfer to a shallow container and leave to cool.

3. 3

   Quickly work together 500 g flour, 150 g sugar, 3 egg yolks and 150 g butter cut into pieces. If the mixture is still dry, add cold water a teaspoon at a time, stopping as soon as it comes together into a dough. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Roll out the pastry and line the bases and sides of two 26 cm pastiera tins, reserving enough pastry for the lattice strips.

5. 5

   Beat the 10 eggs with 500 g sugar. Add the ricotta passed through a sieve, vanillin, cinnamon, candied peel and millefiori flavouring. Fold in the cooled pastry cream and wheat.

6. 6

   Divide the filling between the two pastry cases. Roll out the remaining pastry on baking paper and cut into strips. Arrange 5 strips in one direction and 5 crossing them on each pastiera, following the family decoration.

7. 7

   Mix the egg yolk for brushing with a little milk and brush over the edges and strips.

8. 8

   Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 1 hour, extending the time by up to 20 minutes if needed: the top should be amber, the edges baked through and the centre set. If the tins do not fit side by side, bake them one at a time and keep the second in the refrigerator.

9. 9

   Leave for 20 minutes in the switched-off oven with the door open. Then cool promptly and refrigerate the pastiere until serving.