The pastiera napoletana

Procedure

Before starting the long process of making the pastiera look carefully at the VIDEO RECIPE step by step. To prepare the Neapolitan pastries for Easter, the night before putting the ricotta, that must be piled high, to drain in a strainer covered with gauze, so do lose more excess water can. Obviously the ricotta should be gripped to drain in refrigerator and blanket.

Always the night before, preparing the pastry (photo 1) by mixing all the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and firm: form a loaf, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator so that you rassodi for good.

The following day, Cook the corn for the Neapolitan pastries over low heat in a saucepan with the milk, at citrus peel, the sugar and butter (3 photos). The corn should be cooked until the milk is absorbed and the mixture is creamy and not become dense enough. I recommend, low heat and stir frequently because the grain tends to stick to the bottom. Once ready, let cool the cooked grain for pastiera at room temperature (4 photos).

While the corn cooks, sieve the ricotta and mix with the sugar until the mixture is creamy and smooth (5 photos). Combine 4 eggs one at a time (6 photos), stirring vigorously, And then (7 photos) an egg yolk (keep the egg white). Add the candied fruit, the grain, cinnamon, grated lemon zest and orange blossom water (put according to your taste but remember it is invasive and that cooking releases more flavor than raw, so do not overdo it). Add the cooked grain (8 photos) the ricotta cream. Finally, snow-whip the remaining egg white and incorporate it slowly into the dough with the help of a spatula.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees static. Grease and flour the cake tin. Roll out pastry on floured work surface to about 5 millimeters in height and line the bottom and the sides of the pan (9 photos). Prick the dough with a fork and pour the mixture of wheat, eggs and ricotta. Level it so that it is uniform (10 photo) and, with what's left of the pastry, making the strips to be placed on the Neapolitan pastries at crossroads. The pastiera not brush it with egg and milk as the tart, because it has very long cooking times and brushed too would tend to turn brown.

Cook the Neapolitan pastry for about an hour and, Once cooked, let cool the Neapolitan pastries in the oven switched off and with the door open seeds. Then, make yourself the peace of mind and wait for two to three days. Sprinkle the Neapolitan pastries with icing sugar before you taste it, and Bon Appetit!