Savory Niçoise Pie with Chard, as the name implies, is a specialty of Nice (niçoise).
There are two versions, one sweet (torta blea) – the most well-known – and another savory. For both, the main ingredient is “les blettes”, or chard.
Savory Niçoise Pie with Chard is a savory pie with chard, rice, parmesan, and salted meat, which in France is called petit salé. It is usually eaten cold.
The petit salé is salted pork, generally produced by immersing the cuts of pork in brine for up to two days. You can substitute it with beef jerky or bacon.
You can use puff pastry or savory shortcrust pastry, the one used for classic French quiches.
You can enjoy this savory pie in Nice during the Carnival.
The Carnival in Nice is divided into two distinct events: the parade, both day and night, and the Battle of the Flowers.
The first parade was on February 23, 1873. The Shrove Tuesday parade of masks, floats, and the public starts in the early afternoon and concludes late at night, when the burning of King Carnival, the grand fireworks display, and the ball at Hotel Plaza end the festival, which lasts two weeks and has a different theme each year.
And throughout the entire event, the much-anticipated flower battles take place, with dancers and performers throwing over 100,000 flowers to the audience.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Seasonality: Carnival, All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2 rolls puff pastry
- 28 oz chard
- 2 oz parmesan
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup rice
- 1 onion
- 9 oz Salted meat
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
Steps
Blanch the chard in salted boiling water, squeeze, and then chop finely.
Sauté in a pan with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and onion, adding salt and pepper.Boil the rice and drain it al dente.
If using salted meat, remember to soak it in water for at least one night, then cut it into small cubes.
If using bacon, simply cut it into small cubes.
In a bowl, combine the ingredients and add the eggs, adjusting salt and pepper, then mix.
Line a baking pan with one roll of puff pastry, then arrange the filling and cover with the other roll of pastry.
Make some holes with a fork.Then bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about an hour.
For the recipe, you can purchase salted or dried meat online.
Experience Nice from your living room..
“Le Grand Bleu” by Luc Besson and “Bonjour tristesse” by Françoise Sagan will let you experience the beauty of Nice without leaving your living room..
