Ingredients
For the Pastry Dough [makes about 2 fiadoni]
Flour as much as needed [about 1 3/4 cups]
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
For the filling
1 1/2 cups ["Salerno"] Romano cheese, grated*
1 1/2 cup Caciotta cheese, grated
4 whole eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
A pinch of pepper
For brushing the tops of the fiadoni
2 egg yolks, beaten
*Store-packaged grated Romano cheese can be used but it is best to buy a piece of Romano cheese [the brand, "Salerno" Romano works very well] that is still not yet grated and then have it grated at the store.
N.B. Fiadone (singular) or fiadoni (plural) were originally known as "hiaune," "hiaune," "h'iatun'" or "hiadone" in the Molise countryside. However tourist brochures from this region now refer to them as "fiadone." On the world-wide web this style of cheese pastry has many different names, including: fiadone con formaggio, fiadone al formaggio, fiadone di formaggio, fiadoni con formaggio, fiadoni al formaggio, fiadoni di formaggio and fiatoni.
Directions
To make pastry dough
o Combine ingredients and work into a pastry dough.
o Shape the dough into a ball. Wrap with clear plastic.
o Place in a container. Cover with a linen cloth.
o Let the dough rest for an hour or so at room temperature.
To make cheese filling
o Beat eggs
o Mix grated cheeses.
o Combine beaten eggs with grated cheese -- do the mixing by hand using a wooden spoon or fork, do Not use a blender or food processor. The cheese mixture should not be too smooth, but remain in its natural state.
o Add finely grated parsley and a pinch of pepper. Mix well (by hand).
To make the fiadoni
o Using a rolling pin, roll out the rested pastry dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
o Cut out circles with a serrated roller pastry cutter the size of a very large dinner plate (about 11 inches wide).
o Place the filling in the center of the circle.
o In the half of the pastry circle that will cover the filling, make three "thimble" size holes.
o Seal the pastry pockets with a fork.
o Re-cut the edges with a serrated roller pastry cutter (to make it look more appealing).
o Brush the tops of the fiadoni with egg yolk.
o Bake in 325 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden (N.B. the fiadoni should increase in volume in the oven).
o Store in fridge till needed.
o Before serving, cut each fiadoni into thin slices -- about 1/4 inch thick (A well-made fiadoni should increase in volume in the oven, so that one should end up with slices that are about 2 1/2 inches high, 3 to 4 inches wide, and 1/4 inch thick).
o Serve at room temperature.
Notes
This recipe is how my late aunt, Mrs. Teresa (nee Melfi) DiTullio, did her fiadoni. I wasn't sure which cheese she used in her fiadoni until my mother came with me to the Italian grocery shop this year and picked out the Caciotta. The addition of the caciotta to the fiadone makes for an excellent tasting cheese pastry. Also, using Romano cheese that is relatively fresh (though not necessarily semi-ripe) and sold as a chunk will produce a better testing fiadone than by using store-bought grated Romano cheese. Please note this recipe will produce a milder tasting fiadone than those that incorporate three cheeses. So for those that prefer very sharp tasting fiadone this recipe is not for them. On the other hand for those who don't want their sharp-cheese fiadone to taste too sharp (some might even claim those that are too sharp as being inedible) this recipe is for them (Most members of the Melfi-Alfieri family preferred Zia Teresa's recipe over all the others they ever had the pleasure to taste). Photo: Sue Alfieri. |
