Parigina - Traditional Napolitan Recipe

The Parigina has France origins, although it was brought in Naples (IT) around 1800. Legend says that the first time that this was cooked in Italy was for the Queen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, therefore the name "Parigina" which in Napolitan dialect is "Pa`Regin" meaning "For the Queen".

This is now a well know piece of savoury bakery in Naples which can be filled with all kinds of meats or vegetables. Today we are going to do the traditional version with tomato, cheese and ham. Although, you are free to change the filling as you like!

For the dough:

• 500gr of Flour
• 310 gr of water
• 25 mL of olive oil
• 10 gr of dry yeast
• 10 gr of salt
• 5 gr of sugar
• 1 roll of puff pastry
• 2 tbsp of thick heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk

For the filling:

• 200 gr of ham
• 200 gr of cheese
• 1 can of peeled tomatoes

Pour the dry yeast and the sugar in the water and mix until fully dissolved.

Add the mix to the flour and start kneading the dough. Halfway trough, add the salt and continue kneading the dough.

Little tip: If you don`t have a bowl big enough you can knead the dough on your kitchen table. To do so, create a little mountain with the flour and open a little hole in the middle. Add a tiny amount of the water mix in the hole and start by mixing the edges of the hole with your water mix so it will not overflow everywhere!

Knead the dough until completely smooth. Add it to a bowl covered with flour.

Cover the bowl with cling film and wait for it to double in size (It will take around 3hours depending of the external temperature)

Little tip: If you leave it in a room at 28C it will rise in a couple of hours

Open the can of peeled tomatoes and squeeze them using a fork.

Cut the cheese in thin slices. I used caciocavallo but you can use your preferred cheese. I would suggest to use dry cheese.

Little tip: If you prefer to have mozzarella you can. You will need to squeeze the water out, cut it and leave it in the fridge until dry.

Take a big baking tray and cover it in olive oil.

Take the now doubled dough and press it as a square on the baking tray.

Cover the baking tray with cling film and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

During this 30 minutes start by turning on the oven at 200C (it needs to be at temperature when the Parigina is ready)

First of all let`s start by rolling out the puff pastry using a rolling pin. If the pastry sticks to the rolling pin you can add a tiny amount of flour.

Separately we need to prepare a mix that will be spread out on the pastry. Add the yolk and the heavy cream together and mix.

Lets start by laying on the tomatoes on the dough. Add the cheese and the ham.

Cover it with the puff pastry and with a fork make some little holes around the entire pastry.

Spread the heavy cream and yolk mix on top.

Place it into the oven for 35 min.

Let it rest for 15 min and Enjoy! You can it warm or cold.