Ingredients for a round cake tin with a diameter of 24 cm and about 5 cm deep:400 g plain Flour20 g brewer’s yeast2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil200 ml water 1 pinch of salt500 g Tuscan kale2 shallot2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil2 eggs salt and pepper500 g fresh sheep’s milk ricotta100 ml milk3 tbsp grated aged pecorino cheese (plus 2 tbsp to sprinkle on top of the filling)3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil salt½ tsp nutmeg1 knob of butter2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Prepare the pastry base: sieve the flour into a bowl, make a “hole” in the centre and pour in the yeast, dissolved in a glass of warm water. Start mixing with a fork, gradually adding the rest of the water, the salt and the olive oil; when the dough begins to take form, continue with your hands until you form a ball. Cover with a cotton cloth and leave to rise for 30-40 minutes.
In the meanwhile clean the kale, eliminate any outer leaves that are limp or damaged and remove the central ribs. To do this, hold the leaf firmly at the bottom of the stalk with one hand, then, once more at the bottom, grip it with the other hand and, holding tightly, move upwards along the stalk so that the leaf becomes detached. Wash these leaves under running water, pat them dry and chop them finely. Clean and thinly slice the shallots, then sauté them in a heavy-bottomed frying pan with 2 spoonfuls of olive oil. When they have browned, tip in the kale, season with salt and pepper, and stir; put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave to cool. When it has cooled down, put the mixture in a bowl, add the 2 eggs and mix thoroughly.
Now prepare the ricotta cream: put the ricotta through a sieve and beat it with a whisk, gradually add the milk – stirring continuously – then the grated pecorino, olive oil, salt and nutmeg. Continue stirring until smooth and creamy. Add the kale and egg mixture and carefully amalgamate it with the ricotta cream.
Take the dough – which in the meanwhile will have risen – and roll it out on your work surface, using a rolling pin and sprinkling a little flour so it doesn’t stick; try to give it a round shape, a few centimetres larger than the tin in which you will bake the savoury flan. Grease the tin with butter, sprinkle it with breadcrumbs and then arrange the disk of dough in it, making sure it adheres all around the side. Tip in the kale and ricotta filling, spread it out and level the surface; sprinkle with the grated pecorino and bake in a preheated oven, at 220 °C, for roughly 40 minutes.