Barbajuan - Easy Appetizer Everyone Will Love
Did you know that the tiny principality of Monaco, the second smallest country in the world, has given us a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer called Barbajuan? This national food of Monaco is typically filled with ricotta cheese and Swiss chard, but some areas add heartier ingredients like squash or pumpkin during the winter months. Regardless of the filling, Barbajuans is a crowd-pleasing party food that will have your guests coming back for more.
Type of Cuisine:
Mediterranean
How Many Servings?
10 servings
Table of Contents
Are you looking for a new and exciting appetizer to add to your party spread? Look no further than Barbajuans! This delicious pastry is the national food of Monaco, and for a good reason. With a crispy fried exterior and savory cheese and Swiss chard filling, Barbajuans will impress your guests. And the best part? They’re easy to make and freeze so you can have them on hand for any occasion. Keep reading for my traditional Barbajuan recipe, and feel free to get creative with your fillings.
Barbajuan – The National Food of Monaco and Its Folk Story
Also known as Barbagiuan, this pastry is the national food of Monaco. It is most often eaten when celebrating the Principality’s national day on November 19th. And there is a great folk story behind this dish.
The tale is that long ago, Jean wanted to make ravioli but realized he had no sauce. So, he stuffed his ravioli full of cheese and Swiss chard and fried them instead. He stumbled upon something so tasty that it started to gain popularity. Who would’ve thought fried food would taste so good? As the food began to spread across the country, it was called Barbajuan, which translates to ‘Uncle John’ as a tip of the cap to its creator!
Using Substitutes in the Filling:
My recipe delivers the best-tasting and traditional take on Barbajuans. However, food is meant for exploration, right? Maybe you want to try to make Barbajuans with a different cheese or add something to the filling. It’s okay to get creative! It has been said that the Prince Albert of Monaco likes his Barbajuans with bacon and anchovy inside.
Barbajuans are indeed what you make of them, so if you want to tweak a bit of the filling recipe, go for it! However, I do recommend still giving the traditional Barbajuan a shot.
Barbajuans are the perfect party dish! Who doesn’t like something fried stuffed with cheese? This appetizer is savory and straightforward to make. This is the traditional recipe for Barbajuan, but if you want to add a unique spin, you can add something you love to the filling. This recipe will make about 20 Barbajuans and will surely be a hit for your guests!
Try These Other Authentic Mediterranean Recipes
If you enjoyed making these delicious barbajuans, you might also love my other authentic Mediterranean recipes, like Slow-Cooked Classic Slovenian Beef Goulash Recipe. and my family favorites, Maltese Ricotta Peas pie. For more Mediterranean delights, check out my 20 Authentic Mediterranean Recipes collection.
Preparation
Sift flour into a mixing bowl. Add salt and mix to combine. Add the olive oil and the egg to the bowl and blend with a fork.
Add enough water to make the pastry a firm dough. Turn this onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 min). Wrap in plastic wrap and set into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a shallow pan over medium heat. Add the onion and leek, and fry until golden (about 5 minutes). Add the chard, spinach, and oregano and fry until the chard is tender (about 10 minutes).
Transfer the contents of the skillet to a bowl and then mix in the cheese and the leftover egg from the pastry. Season with salt and pepper. Set the filling aside to cool.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's about 2mm thick. Use a floured 6cm round pastry cutter and cut into as many rounds as possible. Gather the scraps, re-roll out, and cut again. You should end up with about 20 circles. Place 1 tsp of the filling in the center of each pastry round and brush the edges with the egg white.
Fold the dough to form a semi-circle and press the edges with the ends of a fork to seal. As you complete each pastry, transfer to a baking tray lined with foil. Note: At this stage, you can freeze the pasties and thaw before cooking or cook them immediately.
Pour vegetable oil into a deep pan (at least 4cm) and heat to frying. Add the pasties to the oil in batches and fry until brown and crisp (about 5 minutes).
Transfer a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen towels.
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With a crispy golden crust and tender, aromatic filling, Barbajuan are the perfect party snack or light meal. Try making them for your next gathering or simply enjoy them as a tasty treat any time of day!
Type of Cuisine:
Mediterranean
How Many Servings?
10 servings
Ingredients:
Adjust Servings
| 14 oz all-purpose flour | |
| Dash of salt | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil | |
| 1 whole egg | |
| ½ cup water |
Filling Ingredients:
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | |
| 1 leek (white part only) finely chopped | |
| 4 Swiss chard leaves (green parts only), shredded and chopped | |
| Fresh spinach (chopped) | |
| ¼ teaspoon dried oregano | |
| ¼ teaspoon marjoram | |
| 5 oz ricotta cheese | |
| 3 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese | |
| 1 egg | |
| Vegetable oil for deep frying |
Preparation
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
How To Serve This Easy Appetizer?
Rana’s Notes!
Nutrition Information
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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