[VIDEO] Croatian Recipes: Soparnik – Dalmatian Swiss Chard Pizza Pie

Soparnik (photo credit: wikicommons/ciovka)

The Soparnik is said to be the prototype of the Italian pizza, which the Romans brought to Italy…

Today the Soparnik is used as a cultural trademark and sold increasingly on markets and in restaurants and found at events and festivals. So what is it? Soparnik is a savoury pie with a filling of Swiss chard, or blitva as it is known in Croatia. It is the most famous speciality of the dalmatian region Poljica, which lies between Split and Omiš, and was recently given EU protection.

A great alternative to pizza and it goes fantastic with red wine. Check out this recipe from Fini Recepti:

Ingredients

Flour – 500 g
Olive oil – 3 tablespoons
Water – 250 ml
Parsley – 1 bunch
Swiss chard (blitva) – 1 kg
Spring onion – 1
Garlic – 4 cloves
Salt

Instructions

1. Wash the chard (blitva) cut out the storks. Cut into strips and place in a bowl. Finely chop the spring onion and parsley and add to the chard. Add salt and sprinkle with olive oil.

2. Time to do the pastry – in a bowl sieve the flour. Add salt, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and water then with a mixer mix together (adding water when needed to keep moist) until it binds.

3. Sprinkle flour on a baking tray and put the (circle) shaped pastry on it. Add the chard/spring onion and parsley mixture on. Cover with the other half of the pastry which has been also rolled into a circle shape.

4. Tuck in the edges so it is all closed around.

5. Place in the oven on 200°C for around 20 minutes.

6. Crush garlic into some olive oil and paste the top of the cooked Soparnik.

Cut and serve. Dobar tek!