Apr 8, 2014

EASTER POTATO PIE


POTATO PIE


One of my favorite recipe memories is the Potato Pie made by my Mother for each Easter meal.  Her crusts were sublime, perfectly flaky, holding within them finely sliced potatoes, onions and parsley, moistened with  full-on heavy cream.  This made a perfect paring with a fine ham, and was really best eaten the day after making, which fits into a busy lifestyle.  This potato pie recipe came from the French side of the family, stamped with the earmarks of a simple, delicious, yet elegant, dish. 

PASTRY

I would recommend you use two of the crusts from my previous Julia Child pie crust recipe, OR your favorite two-crust recipe.  Chill before rolling out.

FILLING

7 cups pared POTATOES (6 medium), thinly sliced, using a mandolin or food processor, or if you like to cut and chop like me, a nice sharp knife
2 tsp SALT
1/8 tsp PEPPER (black or white, I prefer the white for this dish)
1 large ONION, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp snipped fresh PARSLEY
2 Tbsp BUTTER
EGG YOLK and 1 Tbsp WATER, mixed, for brushing top crust
1 cup HEAVY CREAM

HEAT OVEN to 375 degrees F.

1.  Toss sliced potatoes with the salt, pepper, onion, and parsley.  Hold in bowl until ready to pour into pie crust.
2.   Roll out one chilled pastry crust so that it is 1 1/2" larger and same shape as a shallow baking dish or 9" pie plate. Fit pastry gently into dish, fill with potato mixture and dot with the butter, sliced into 4 pieces; then trim pastry to edge of dish/pie plate.
3.  Roll out second chilled pastry crust large enough to lay over potato mixture and a little larger.  You can either fold the top crust into the bottom and make a nice edge, OR you can cut it to the size of the dish, using the left-over dough from the two crusts for a rope or fluted edge.  Cut several short slits in the middle of top crust to let the steam out--you will spoon or baste the cream into the potato mixture later.  Brush crust with the egg yolk/water mixture.
4.   Bake pie on rack middle of oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hour, until potatoes are tender (insert knife into slits to test).
5.   Remove pie from oven and gently enlarge slits a little, pour in cream either with a spoon or use a baster (which works well).  Let stand a few minutes, then serve, or serve the pie the next day (giving time for the flavors to 'marry').

Makes 8 servings, more or less, depending on how you slice the pie.


This is definitely a keeper,
like you, my friend!

2 comments:

Rebekah said...

I cannot wait to try this recipe! Looks delicious!

Mariposa said...

Wow, Michele! I grew up loving Corn Potato Pie but I never knew anyone else outside of eastern PA that ever ate it. The recipe is similiar, with the potatoes, butter, salt and pepper, home grown sweet corn, and parsley covered with a top crust, and eaten in a bowl with cold milk poured over it while the pie was still steaming hot! It is definitely a carb load, but oh so tasty. Glad you shared your recipe. I'm wondering if there is a common thread of history....mine ancestry is pure German/Swiss!