I've had this cookbook (the original one) FOREVER; it is literally falling apart at the seams and yet I had never tried this recipe.
So while it was good, I messed up several aspects and definitely feel that affected the final outcome.
First, I thought I had too much potato, so I used a 10" pie pan rather than a 9".
Then, since I thought I had too much potato, I used 1.5 eggs (1 whole and 1 white) rather than 1 egg.
Then I completely forgot to pat down the crust with flour, which would have helped. I'm sure. I'm pretty sure.
Then, after the crust was baked, it shrunk to the point where there were no sides...just a crispy potato base. I thought that would be fine, but...
after I added the cauliflower and poured on the custard, it ran under the potato crust. Which mean it wasn't crispy any longer.
So...final result. A good tasting pie, but a not so great crust.
I'm gonna try this again. It definitely has potential, especially IF I FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
Oh, the one thing I did do right was to sprinkle on Trader Joe's DUKKAH after it came out of the oven. Dukkah is a ground nut blend with sesame seeds and fennel, which went really well with the cauliflower.
Grated Potato CRUST
2 cups of packed raw potato
1 tsp salt
1 egg beaten lightly
¼ cup grated onion
Cauliflower FILLING:
1 heaping packed cup of grated cheddar cheese
1 medium cauliflower broken into small florets
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup chopped onion
3 TBSP butter
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp basil
½ tsp salt, pepper to taste
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
So while it was good, I messed up several aspects and definitely feel that affected the final outcome.
First, I thought I had too much potato, so I used a 10" pie pan rather than a 9".
Then, since I thought I had too much potato, I used 1.5 eggs (1 whole and 1 white) rather than 1 egg.
Then I completely forgot to pat down the crust with flour, which would have helped. I'm sure. I'm pretty sure.
Then, after the crust was baked, it shrunk to the point where there were no sides...just a crispy potato base. I thought that would be fine, but...
after I added the cauliflower and poured on the custard, it ran under the potato crust. Which mean it wasn't crispy any longer.
So...final result. A good tasting pie, but a not so great crust.
I'm gonna try this again. It definitely has potential, especially IF I FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
Oh, the one thing I did do right was to sprinkle on Trader Joe's DUKKAH after it came out of the oven. Dukkah is a ground nut blend with sesame seeds and fennel, which went really well with the cauliflower.
Grated Potato CRUST
2 cups of packed raw potato
1 tsp salt
1 egg beaten lightly
¼ cup grated onion
Cauliflower FILLING:
1 heaping packed cup of grated cheddar cheese
1 medium cauliflower broken into small florets
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup chopped onion
3 TBSP butter
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp basil
½ tsp salt, pepper to taste
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
- Preheat oven to 400. Set the grated potato in a colander, salt, and let it sit and drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess water then mix grated potatoes with remainder of ingredients. Pat into a well oiled 9” pie pan building up the sides with lightly floured fingers.
- Bake for 40 minutes until browned. After the first 30 minutes brush the crust with a little oil to help it crisp. if the crust is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil so it does not burn. Reduce oven temperature to 375.
- For the cauliflower filling: Sauté onions and garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add herbs and cauliflower and cook covered for 10 minutes stirring occasionally and until cauliflower is tender.
- Spread half of cheese into baked crust, then onion cauliflower mixture, then the rest of the cheese. Mix eggs and milk together with a whisk and pour over pie. Bake for 30-40 minutes until set. Let it rest briefly, for about 10 minutes, and then slice into pie shaped wedges. You can serve as an appetizer or as a main with a side salad.
