What's Cookin'?

Best known for its beauty, casinos and the fairytale wedding between Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, Monaco is also known for a savory filled pastry called a Barbajuan, a personal favorite of H.S.H. Prince Albert II.
Other local specialties include socca, thin pancakes, and stocafi, dried cod stewed in tomato sauce.

Barbajuans
Pastry:
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten to blend
3 Tbsp. (or more) water
Filling:
1 1⁄2 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. finely chopped leek (white part only)
2 Swiss chard leaves, stems and ribs removed, chopped
3⁄4 cup chopped fresh spinach
1⁄2 tsp. dried oregano
2 1⁄2 Tbsp. ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg white, beaten to blend
Vegetable oil
For pastry:
Combine flour and salt in processor. Add oil, two tablespoons egg (reserve remaining egg for filling) and three tablespoons water. Process until smooth dough forms, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Wrap dough in plastic and let stand 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare filling:
Heat 1 1⁄2 teaspoons olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and leek and sauté until tender and golden, about 4 minutes.
Add chard, spinach and oregano and sauté until very tender, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to small bowl. Mix in cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in one tablespoon egg reserved from pastry. Set filling aside to cool.
Line large baking sheet with foil. Roll out dough on floured surface to generous 1/16 inch thickness. Using floured 2- to 2-1⁄2 inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Gather dough and re-roll, cutting out more rounds for a total of 24.
Place one teaspoon filling in center of each dough-round. Brush edges of rounds with egg white. Fold dough over, forming half-circle, and press edges to seal. Place pastries on prepared baking sheet. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and freeze. Thaw before continuing, and pat dry if dough is wet).
Pour vegetable oil into heavy large Dutch oven to depth of 1 1⁄2 inches. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Working in batches, fry pastries until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pastries to paper towels and drain. Arrange pastries on platter. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 24.

Socca
2 cups chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper
In a blender, mix until smooth the flour, olive oil, water and salt.
Place a heavy griddle or 10- to 12-inch frying pan on a range at medium-high heat. When pan is hot enough for a drop of water to dance, brush surface generously with oil.
Pour enough batter to cover pan surface about 1/8 inch thick; use about 1 cup batter for a 10-inch round, 1-1/3 cups for a 12-inch round, 2 cups for a 16-inch round. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until bottom is lightly browned and top is dry to touch, 3 to 4 minutes.
Slash pancake into random-shaped serving-size pieces, about 2 by 3 inches. Slide off griddle and mound into a napkin or onto a plate to eat hot. Repeat to cook remaining batter. Makes about 8 appetizer servings.
What’s Cookin’? will run every Wednesday in 2008. A different country’s foods will be featured each week. Next week: Morocco.