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If you’ve ever tried French cuisine then you may think of rich sauces and obscure ingredients as is used in fine dining in the region. However, the home-cooking of France relies on much more humble ingredients and methods to create hearty, warming meals that fall into the category of classics- even outside France.
This French potato pie is also known as pâté aux pomme de terre and features a buttery crust on both top and bottom of this savory tart. We’re used to pâté referring to the meat paste, but the word just means “dough” or “pastry” and many meat pâtés used to be served in pastry crusts.
The inside of this potato pie is filled with thinly sliced potatoes and onions, as well as fresh garlic, chives, and parsley.
A creamy béchamel sauce is a quick one to whip up on the stovetop and features white pepper and nutmeg for extra flavor. Pour this on top of the other filling ingredients before sealing up the pie with a second crust.
Then brush with a beaten egg and cut some vent holes in the top crust. While this pie is baking the flavors meld together to create a yummy filling that’s simple, but very memorable.
This is wonderful when heated up the next day for leftovers, too. I love to cut a bit of Swiss or Gruyère cheese and place it on top before reheating it for even more flavor.
For a taste of the more relaxed side of French cooking this classic pie really hits the spot. It’s the sort of dish you’ll find cooking in many homes across Central France, especially on a cold day.
French Potato Pie
Diet: Vegetarian
For the crust:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring
- 1/2 cup ice water
For the filling:
- 1 3/4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 300˚F. Combine butter with salt and 1 cup flour in food processor. Pulse until crumbly mixture forms. Add remaining flour and pulse again. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing between each addition. Stop adding water or mixing as soon as dough begins to clump together.
- Divide dough in half. Sprinkle flour onto work surface. Roll out 2 pieces big enough to cover a 9" pie pan. Place one in bottom of pan. Place pan and extra dough in refrigerator until ready to fill.
- Boil potatoes in salted water until firm-tender and drain well. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Brush bottom crust with egg. Place potatoes in flat layers in the pie pan, alternating with garlic, parsley, chives, and onion slices as you go.
- In a small saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Whisk in 1 cup of milk at a time. Simmer on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes to thicken, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, onion powder, nutmeg, and white pepper. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Pour cream sauce over potatoes. Place top crust over potatoes and crimp around edges. A criss cross or other pattern on top is traditional. Poke a few holes in the top crust before baking. Brush with egg and loosely cover with foil- taking care not to let anything touch top crust. Or place an empty baking sheet on rack just above pie to shield it from heat.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Recipe adapted from Copy Me That.