Sa Panada: one of the typical dishes of Sardinia

Sa Panada is an unique dish and it is representative of an area of Sardinia: Assemini. Distinctiveness is such because it represents the first and the second course, this one characterized by the presence of meat or fish. Furthermore, the dough of sa Panada indicates a delicious kind of bread, too. Indeed, it is told that, in ancient times, some citizens of Assemini cooked some panade very big, in order to serve them as a bread.


The traditional Panada is prepared with eels and peas, both because these two ingredients adhere perfectly each other and because in Assemini there was a basin and in that area they lived above all families of fishermen. The variations, alike appreciated, are prepared with potatoes and meat of chicken or pork or lamb or rabbit. Some women prefer sa Panada with the meat of horse or that with vegetables. But, dried tomatoes, garlic and parsley are inevitable. The "equipment" for working are a terrine, a rolling pin and some dishes suitable to this type of food: iron glaze dishes that have not to present some cracks, because they could be detrimental during the cooking. Or it is perfect to use some single-use aluminum baking trays.

The typical dish is made with flour and some spoons of lard, put into a terrine. This ingredient is necessary for making an oily dough. You must pour some lukewarm water into a container and you must add a pinch of salt, for balancing out when you mix the whole mixture, because you must not add the lard in an excessive quantity.
For making a lightest dough, as an alternative of the lard, you can use oil. The lukewarm water must be enough for creating a small ball of mixture, that will be useful for realizing sa Panada. You must knead very well in order to make a smooth dough. Then, you let stand it for a little time.


The other step is the creation of small balls of mixture in an equivalent number of the panade that you want to cook. You work each small ball of mixture – after the first, you prepare the second, etc. You use the rolling pin for spreading out perfectly the dough, whose thickness can vary according to the tastes. Later, you put it into the iron glaze dishes with a lot of attention. You pour the mixture, previously cut in a shape of cubes.

The advice is to put everything together; on the contrary, some people choose the method of the various layers: for instance, if you want to cook sa Panada with meat, you must create a layer of meat, secondly, a layer of dried tomatoes and, finally, a layer of potatoes. You must spread out the dough making it come out the dish, in order to close it creating some wrinkles. You pour some oil and, if sa Panada is made with meat of chicken or rabbit, that are kinds of dry meat, you must add a little water and, finally, you spread a little salt. Then you take another portion of dough for realizing a cover that works as a closure, creating some twirly edges. The more dough must be cut. Maybe, some people use it for realizing some savory coccoietti.


For the quantity of the ingredients that have been used, you must decide by yourself, because, actually, it depends on the sizes of sa Panada that you prepared. Certainly, 3 dried tomatoes and 2 slices of garlic are perfect. The baking of the course is done into the oven for about 1 hour and a half if sa Panada is made with meat; 1 hour if it is made with eels. These ones must be those suitable for Panada, so not too big.