Never heard of the Crescia sfogliata?! We have to admit that prior to this, we hadn’t either!
Crescia IS NOT A PIADINA, is NOT A PANCAKE, is NOT A CREPE, and is NOT A TORTILLA!
Crescia is a flaky traditional round-shaped flatbread that originated in Urbino, a wonderful walled city placed in the Marche Region, central Italy. Featured with many delicious layers along with a golden crispy crust while still moist and soft on the inside, the Crescia can be filled with wild greens, vegetables, salumi, sausage and/or cheese.
I started hearing about Crescia last winter, when Luca decided to bring something new and personal to the rich and ever-changing Copenhagen food scene.
My curiosity towards new traditional food along with the desire to find more and more Italian food in Copenhagen led me to give Crescia a try. From then on I enjoyed it many times and with many different fillings. My all-time favourite one is filled with rich pistachio Mortadella, creamy stracciatella cheese and sweet- tart flavour sun dried tomatoes.
Crescia
Crescia IS NOT A PIADINA!
Do not be fooled by the appearance,
even though it is very similar. What differentiates the Crescia and a Piadina are the ingredients that compose them and the processing method.
Flour, water and lard are the ingredients common to both preparations.
What distinguishes the Crescia is the presence of eggs and a more generous quantity of pepper and pork fat which, during cooking, guarantee the extraordinary fragrance.
Generous doses of pork fat and the rolling of the dough on itself, like a snail, produce the typical flaky effect. You will be able to “detach” the fragrant layers one by one.
Why is it called “Crescia”?
According to legend, the crescia was invented by a young baker who, upon seeing the sun “entangled” between the two towers of the Ducal Palace, decided to create a sort of round-shaped focaccia, which he called ‘crescia’ (meaning ‘risen’ in English) to symbolize the bread’s light leavening and the baker’s own desire to fly high. (from “La Cucina Italiana“).
Luca is the Italian entrepreneur who started making Crescia in Copenhagen following the original recipe from his girlfriend’s granny from Urbino.
After some months preparing, biking and delivering Crescia all around the city Luca got a stall for his Business – Strutto (… that means fat pork in Italian) in the Broens Gadekøkken Street Food. This market is located by the Inner Harbour Bridge in the heart of Copenhagen. Stop by, like we do very often, and choose your favorite filling and give Crescia a try.
Here we give to you two typical fillings you can prepare at home or taste if you find yourself in in the Urbino area (or in Copenhagen ;))
Crescia with sautéed greens, sausage and squacquerone cheese.
INGREDIENTS for 2 servings
- 2 Crescia flatbreads
- Oil, garlic, salt and pepper – to taste
- 2 fresh sausages
- 4 tbsp of creamy squacquerone cheese
- 1 cup washed greens, like chard, chicory, kale or similar
METHOD
- In a frying pan sauté the greens with oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the sausage meat from the skin. Warm a large non stick skillet up on medium-high heat and cook the meat until browned. With a spatula break up and crumble it.
- Warm the Crescia up, and spread the squacquerone on it. Add the greens and distribute the meat on the Crescia. Fold and close it and serve.
Crescia with sardoncini (anchovies), radicchio and shallot.
INGREDIENTS for 2 servings
- 2 Crescia flatbreads
- 8 – 10 small anchovies
- 1 spoon of breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic
- parsley
- oil, salt and pepper, to taste
- some leaves of radicchio
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp of vinegar
METHOD
- Clean the anchovies by removing the head and bowels. Prepare the breading: in a bowl mix breadcrumbs along with crushed garlic, parsley, a little salt, oil, and a little pepper. Bread the anchovies with this mixture. Bake them at 200 degrees for a maximum of 5-6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash the radicchio, and cut it in small pieces. Season it with oil, salt, pepper and vinegar.
- Cut the shallot into thin slices and quickly sauté it in a pan with oil, red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.
- Warm the Crescia up until ready, stuff it with a layer of anchovies and then a layer of radicchio, and finish with the shallot. Fold and serve immediately.
mad and delicacy 
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