My potatoes are getting harvested, and I am trying out potato recipes. The first lot that I lifted were Arran Pilot, with white flesh that mashes very well. I made this from a recipe in Elizabeth David’s ‘Italian Food’. I also used some local free-range eggs.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Kg of potatoes that mash well
- 100g Gruyere or Emmental cheese, sliced
- 75g cooked ham or Italian sausage (I used Fonteluna sausage from Valvona and Crolla), sliced
- 2 eggs, boiled for around 7 minutes and peeled
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 75g butter
- 4 tbsp milk
- salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste
METHOD
- Peel and boil the potatoes until cooked, around 16 minutes. Mash them with about 40g butter and the milk, and put them through a mouli or potato ricer to make a very soft smooth mash. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Grease a dish with butter (I used a small lasagne dish) and then coat the bottom and sides with 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
- Put half the mashed potatoes in the bottom of the dish, then add the cheese, ham and chopped boiled eggs in a layer. Cover this with the rest of the mashed potato. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs over the top and dot with butter.
- Cook the pie in a hot oven (around 200C) for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden.
I served this with shredded kale. It is good with any green vegetable, or with a green salad.