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Broccoli and tuna scacciata

By on July 1, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know how many parents out there struggle every meal time just to get  their children to eat more vegetables.  Coming from Italy, the land of world renowned kid-friendly dishes from pizza, pasta to gelato or tiramisu,  arm twisting at meal time is alien to us.  In Italy, the children are accustomed to eating meals using our home grown produce.   I keep a ton of recipes at home just to make eating always a pleasure, not a “pressure”.

I would like to share a traditional Sicilian pastry dish called Scacciata which literally means “pressed”. This is a dish not many Italian restaurants in Tokyo serve but one that kids will definitely enjoy. You can experiment with different vegetable fillings such as spinach, cauliflower, or potatoes as desired. Buon Appetito!

Ingredients
Pastry:   700 grams of dough (same as pizza dough)
Filling:   300 grams of broccoli cooked al dente
1 medium size onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
10 sliced black olives
Extra virgin olive oil
200 grams of tuna
Provolone or Mozarella cheese
Chilli (optional)

Preparation

Dough:
Although you can buy a ready made mix in some supermarkets like Costco, you can also do it from scratch.  To make one yourself, you need 6-7 cups flour (6-700 g), active yeast, a pinch of salt, and about 1 1/3 cups (330 ml) warm water. Make a mound of the flour on your work surface, make a well into the center, and add some salt in it. Dissolve the yeast in the water, and pour it into the well, gradually while working the flour into it. Knead the  dough for 15 minutes, put it covered in a warm place to rise until the size doubles.

Filling:
1.  Put a moderate amount of oil in a skillet and saute thinly sliced onion and chilli (optional)  in medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of water in order not to burn the onion and fennel seeds.

2.  When the onion is almost cooked add the tuna. Let it toast a bit until almost crisp and add oil.   Next,  add the broccoli (cut into small pieces) and saute in the sauce to give it a robust flavor.  Turn the heat off and allow to cool. Now you just need to
assemble everything!

3.   Divide the pizza dough into two – one smaller and the other a bit larger.  Roll out the  bigger dough in a well greased round pan. Cover the base of the pizza with the filling. Add cheese. Note that Provolone has a stronger flavour than Mozarella.  Roll
the small dough and flatten with a rolling pin. Put over the pastry, seal the edges and brush the entire surface with extra virgin olive oil.

4.   With a sharp knife, cut a hole in the center to let the steam out during cooking.  5. Bake in preheated oven at high for about 25-30 minutes or until the surface is nicely browned. When done, brush the surface with more oil and let rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice it. Serves 4-6 people.

 

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