A semolina crust encases a savory filling of ham, cheese, tomato, and eggs in this dish from Pepe's, a lunch spot in Buenos Aires. This recipe first appeared in our October 2013 issue with the article Lunch at Your Leisure.
Ingredients
- 2 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 lb.), cored and sliced crosswise ¼" thick
- Kosher salt, to taste, plus 1 tbsp.
- 2 1⁄4 cups fine semolina, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 8 oz. deli ham, thinly sliced
- 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 eggs
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp. heavy cream
Instructions
Step 1
Spread tomato slices in a single layer on a double thickness of paper towels. Sprinkle salt over tomato slices and let drain for 1 hour. Blot dry with more paper towels.
Step 2
Whisk semolina and 1 tbsp. salt in a bowl; make a well in the center. Stir water and oil into semolina mixture until dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky, about 12 minutes. Divide dough in half and flatten each half into a disk; place on a greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Heat oven to 400°. On a lightly greased surface, roll 1 disk dough into a 12" circle about 1⁄8-inch thick. Fit into a 9" pie plate. Trim edges, leaving 1" dough overhanging edge of plate. Layer half the ham over dough and sprinkle with half the cheese; repeat with remaining ham and cheese. Arrange tomato slices over top, overlapping slightly. Crack 7 eggs over tomatoes, keeping yolks intact; season with salt and pepper. Roll remaining disk dough into a 12" circle about ⅛" thick and place over top of pie. Pinch top and bottom edges of dough together and fold under; crimp edges to seal.
Step 4
Whisk remaining egg with cream; brush over top of pie. Cut several 1"-long slits in top of pie. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 50 minutes. Remove pie from oven and heat oven to broil. Broil pie until crust is browned, 2–3 minutes. Let pie cool slightly before serving.
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