National Dishes of the World

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Barbajuan
Photo: Lemone, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

snack vegetarian

Barbajuan

barbagiuan

Fried pastry parcels filled with Swiss chard, ricotta and parmesan, Monaco’s favourite snack.

Eaten in: Monaco

Prep
50 min
Cooking
20 min
Resting
30 min
Total
1 h 40 min
Servings
6

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About the dish

Barbagiuan are small, crisp pastries often described as Monaco’s most characteristic snack. A thin dough of flour, olive oil and water is filled with a mixture of wilted Swiss chard, leeks or onion, ricotta, parmesan, egg and herbs, then deep-fried. They are served with aperitifs, at street fairs and on national holidays, warm or at room temperature. The name in the Monégasque dialect is usually translated as Uncle John. Similar vegetable-filled pastries are made in neighbouring Liguria and around Nice.

Main ingredients

  • wheat flour
  • olive oil
  • Swiss chard
  • ricotta
  • parmesan
  • leek

More: Wikipedia (en)

Recipe

Barbajuan

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/barbajuan

Ingredients

6 servings

6 servings

Method

  1. Knead the flour with the olive oil, salt and enough water to make a smooth, elastic dough. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

  2. Blanch the chard in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain, squeeze out firmly and chop finely. Soften the leek in a spoonful of olive oil.

  3. Mix the chard, leek, ricotta, parmesan, egg and marjoram, and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Roll the dough out very thinly and cut out rounds about 7 cm across.

  5. Put a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each round, fold in half and seal the edges firmly with a fork.

  6. Deep-fry in batches in oil heated to 175°C for 2–3 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve warm.

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