Preparation

• Prepare the dough following the procedure described for the wholemeal dough for Ragusana scacce.

  

• Buy the turkey meat from your trusted butcher, asking for it already skinned and fat removed.
  
  Cut the boned skinned and fat removed turkey meat into cubes.

  Place the meat in a bowl and season it with:
  • salt;
  • pepper;
  • chopped parsley;
  • a drizzle of oil;
  and mix.

  Seal with plastic wrap, place the bowl in the fridge, and let the meat marinate for a few hours [even overnight].

• Knead the dough by hand to make it elastic again and divide it into dough balls.

  For each pie, you need 2 dough balls:
  – a 120 g ball for the base;
  – a 70 g ball for the cover;
  [thanks to Giovannella, my friend Sara‘s mom for the tip on the weight of the dough balls].

• Use semolina and a good rolling pin.
  The wholemeal dough is more delicate to handle than the classic dough.
  Roll out the dough balls with the rolling pin to make 2 discs:
  – from the 120 g dough ball, a slightly larger diameter disc for the base;
  – from the 70 g dough ball, a slightly smaller diameter disc for the cover;
  with a thickness of about 0.12-0.16 inches (approximately 1/8 inch).

  As an alternative to weighing the dough balls or if you want pies of different sizes, roll out the dough balls and cut out a slightly larger disc and a slightly smaller disc using bowls, plates, lids, or cookie cutters.

  Help yourself by sprinkling a pinch of semolina on the work surface and on the dough disc as you roll it out.
  It’s a cycle of flour, roll out, flour, roll out, rotate and so on.

• Spread the meat on the base leaving the edges free.
  Cover with the cover and seal the edges with your fingers.
  Turn the edge over itself to obtain the characteristic rieficu or simply close it like a calzone.
  Pierce the pie with a fork in several places.
  ^{[step-by-step images valid for every type of filling].}
  * grandma’s trick: if you prepared pies with different fillings, pierce them with the fork crafting the initials of the filling, for example: T for turkey or C for chicken or L for lamb.

• Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper and place the meat pies on top.

• I set the oven as follows:
  • temperature 356°F (180°C) fan mode;
  • temperature 392°F (200°C) static mode.
  Temperature and times may vary from oven to oven and based on the size of the pies.
  • preheat the oven well.
  • bake for about 1 hour in fan oven and check the cooking.

  If the meat pies start to brown too much – to prevent the outside from burning and ensure the meat inside is cooked – after 40-50 minutes lower the oven temperature and continue cooking until completing the hour.

  For a less rustic look, brush the surface of the pies with a drizzle of raw oil.

  Your Ragusana meat pies are ready.

  Great both hot and cold, but I recommend waiting until they are warm.

  Enjoy your meal!

  
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• • Ragusana scaccia: wholemeal dough, types, flavors.