A small fried parcel that moves the Monaco table
In the frying oil, a small half-moon of dough puffs up. While the bubbles are still big and wild it is too early; when the edge turns pale golden and the bubbles get fine, lift it out with a slotted ladle. Rest it briefly and break it open, and the smell of chard, ricotta, rice and cheese comes out with the steam. Barbajuan (also written Barbagiuan) is a fried ravioli filled with greens, loved in and around Monaco.
It looks close to Italian fried ravioli or a small empanada, but its center of gravity is more toward the greens. It is not a dish that pushes with meaty savor; it is eaten for the slightly earthy aroma of the greens, the light milkiness of ricotta, the chew of rice and the toasty fragrance of thin fried dough. So at home too, rather than hunting for unusual ingredients, what matters is wringing the water out of the greens, not making the dough thick, and not letting the oil temperature drop.
This article takes the methods seen in Monaco and southeastern France and adjusts them to a small size that is easy to fry in a home pot. Even on a day when you cannot find swiss chard, combining komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) and spinach gets you quite close.
What is it? A fried parcel that came from Castellar to Monaco
In French-speaking regions barbajuan is written Barbajuan, and in Monégasque and as a regional name also Barbagiuan. As a literal explanation it is sometimes introduced as "Uncle John," and it is told as a dish that came to Monaco from Castellar in southeastern France. The regional recipe from Menton Riviera & Merveilles also presents it as a small local fried item made with swiss chard.
In Monaco it is known as a dish for snacks, starters and holiday tables. Hello Monaco also introduces it as a dish tied to Monaco's National Day on November 19. The shape varies a little between homes and shops, with half-moons, squares and long shapes all mixed, but the basic frame of wrapping greens, cheese and rice and frying it is common to all.
There are four points to keep when recreating it in a home kitchen.
| What to keep | Why |
|---|---|
| Drive off the water in the greens before wrapping | A watery filling tears the dough and makes the oil spatter |
| Add a small amount of rice | It absorbs the moisture of the filling and gives a light chewiness |
| Roll the dough as thin as 1.5–2 mm | If thick, the inside becomes heavy like a dumpling |
| Fry a few at a time at 170–175°C | Low oil temperature makes it greasy; too high only darkens the color |
Ingredients (serves 4, about 18 small pieces)
It contains wheat, egg and milk. If serving family or guests, check for allergies first.
Greens mix for days without swiss chard
Swiss chard is a green whose leaves and stems can be used together. It is not always available in every supermarket, so mixing komatsuna and spinach makes it easier to handle. Komatsuna alone has a strong stem aroma, and spinach alone tends to turn watery. Chop 150 g komatsuna and 120 g spinach into 5 mm widths and drive off the water after cooking, and you get a balance of presence and softness in the greens.
Equipment notes
Flour, eggs, leek, onion and oil are all you need from a regular supermarket. What is worth adding is the tools that roll thin dough steadily, chop greens fine, and keep the oil temperature on target. Barbajuan turns out depending on the precision of the work more than on the ingredients.
If you often make thin dough, a rolling pin of about 30 cm is easier to handle. With a short pin the center tends to stay thick, and the edges get heavy after wrapping. For a dish where you roll to 1.5–2 mm, a long pin helps keep the thickness even.
You can chop the greens and aromatics by hand, but for 18 pieces a small food processor is quicker. The tip is to stop at a coarseness of about 5 mm, without making a paste.
If you are not used to deep frying, a thermometer helps most. Barbajuan has a filling, so frying long at a low temperature makes it soak up oil, and at a high temperature only the skin colors while the inside stays heavy.
How to make it: drive out the water, wrap thin and fry
If you wrap the filling while it is hot, the dough goes limp. First knead the dough and let it rest, and meanwhile chop and sauté the greens, cool them, and then combine with the cheese. If you decide beforehand where the oil, rack, paper and plate go, you will not be rushed after frying.
Choices for getting closer to the original
| Where you hesitate | The closer choice | Compromise in a home kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| Greens | Use swiss chard, leaves and stems together | Komatsuna plus spinach to split aroma and softness |
| Cheese | Ricotta plus Parmesan | On days without ricotta, 160 g drained cottage cheese plus 50 g grated Parmesan |
| Rice | A small amount to firm up the filling | Use cold rice without rinsing, loosened |
| Shape | A small half-moon or square | About 8 cm is easy to fry in a home pot |
| Frying | Thin dough in oil that is not too hot | Keep to 170–175°C and fry 4 at a time |
On days you can get swiss chard, chop the stems finely and use them rather than discarding them. The faintly green aroma of the stems brings a regional-dish character that cheese alone cannot. On the other hand, on days you use only spinach, it has a lot of water, so raise the heat a little at the end of cooking, drive off the liquid on the bottom, and then cool.
Where it goes wrong
It opens while frying
Too much flour is left on the edge, or too much filling went in. Brush off the dusting flour from the edge with your finger before sealing and brush on a little water. Stop the filling at about 18 g each and press while pushing out the air. The fork marks are not decoration; they are work to thin and press the edge so it sticks together.
It turns greasy
It went in while the oil was low. Putting in too many at once drops it below 165°C and the skin soaks up oil. In a 20 cm home pot, 4 at a time is manageable. Without an oil thermometer, drop in a small scrap of dough: fine bubbles should appear at once and it should color lightly in about 20 seconds.
The inside is watery
Water from the greens remains. After chopping, sprinkle with salt and squeeze, then cook in a skillet until no water is left on the bottom. Mixing hot cooked greens with ricotta makes the cheese loosen easily, so always cool them on a tray before combining.
The skin gets hard
The dough is thick or it was fried too long. Over 2 mm thick, it does not turn light even when fried, and the edge stays hard. Stop at a pale gold fry color, not dark brown. The color keeps advancing from residual heat after lifting out, so lifting them the moment the edge turns golden is enough.
How to eat them, a menu, and related dishes
Rather than eating barbajuan piled up and piping hot, serving them as a starter after they settle a little lets you taste them. Put a leafy salad, olives and lemon on the table, and the toasty fried skin and the aroma of greens do not feel heavy. They are a dish that leans toward white wine, but at home cold sparkling water or strong tea goes well too.
If you compare it with other greens-and-thin-dough dishes, the closest is the Croatian soparnik (in Japanese), a baked greens pie where garlic oil takes the lead. For similar frying work, there are the Tunisian fricassé (in Japanese) and the Vietnamese chả giò (in Japanese). On a day you want to widen the field of fried filled dishes, the Argentine empanada is also a useful reference.
Storage and reheating
They taste best between 3 and 10 minutes after frying. If making ahead, think separately about whether to stop before wrapping or after frying.
| State | How to store | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Filling before wrapping | Airtight, refrigerated | Until the next day |
| Wrapped dough | Dusted with flour, in one layer, refrigerated | Up to 6 hours |
| After frying | Cool, airtight, refrigerated | Until the next day |
| Freezing | Freeze on a tray before frying, then bag | Up to 2 weeks |
Reheat refrigerated ones in a toaster oven or oven at 180°C for 6–8 minutes. A microwave alone makes the skin soggy, so if you use one, warm for only 20 seconds at 600 W and then move to the toaster. Fry frozen uncooked ones without thawing in 170°C oil for 2 minutes per side, watching until the surface is pale gold.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make it without swiss chard?
Yes. Combining 150 g komatsuna and 120 g spinach separates the stem texture from the softness of the leaves. If you use only spinach, it releases water easily, so add 1–2 minutes of cooking time and stop when no liquid remains on the bottom.
What if I cannot find ricotta?
Mixing 160 g drained cottage cheese with 50 g grated Parmesan gets you in a similar direction. Cream cheese is too rich and easily hides the aroma of the greens, so if you use it, limit it to 80 g and make up the rest with cottage cheese for a lighter result.
Do I have to put in rice?
It is easier to handle with it. The rice is not just for bulk; it absorbs the moisture from the greens and cheese. If you leave it out, cool the sautéed greens more thoroughly and add 10 g more Parmesan so the filling holds together.
Can I bake them in the oven?
You can, but it moves closer to a different dish. The character of barbajuan is the lightness of thin dough puffing up in oil. If you must bake, brush the surface with oil and bake at 220°C for 10–12 minutes. Even so, the toasty edges and light skin come out better fried.
How much can I prepare the day before?
The filling can be made the day before. Sauté and cool the greens, combine them with the cheese and rice, and keep airtight in the refrigerator. The dough is easier to roll if kneaded the same day, but if you make it the day before, refrigerate it and return it to room temperature 30 minutes before use. Wrapped ones left a long time get a damp bottom, so 6 hours before frying is the guide.
