Cheese and potato pie

Pasticchio di patate e formaggi
This cheese and potato pie was a bit of a revelation the first time I tried it. Maybe because it had never occurred to me to use potatoes in a traditional quiche-like setting. As often before I was surprised by the starch on starch efficiency, helped along by lots of cheese and crème fraiche.

Cheese and potato pie is a nice heartening dish that can be served at all hours of the day as a lunch or main course accompanied by salad. It is always good. Especially when you are not trying to lose weight.

Ingredients

For the pastry
300 g flour
120 g butter
1 egg
salt and cold water

For the filling
500 g potatoes
1 leek
1 clove of garlic
150 g Taleggio or similar rich creamy cheeses
100 ml crème fraiche (not the low fat version)
2 eggs
Salt, pepper and olive oil

Preparation

Mix salt and flour and add cubes of butter
Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Stir in the egg and just enough cold water to bind the dough together. Do not knead.
Cover the pastry with clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge.
Peel the potatoes, cut them in cubes and boil them in salty water for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes.
Slice the leek and wash it thoroughly.
Fry the leek with sliced garlic in olive oil until soft
Mix eggs and crème fraiche and add cubed cheese.
Fold in the fried leeks and boiled potato cubes.
Roll out the pastry between two layers of clingfilm.
Remove one layer of clingfilm and use the other one to handle the pastry and line a pre-greased pie pan.
Trim the edges and cover the pastry with parchment paper and dried beans.
Bake the pastry topped with beans at 160 C / 320 F for 20 minutes.
Lift off the parchment paper and the dried beans.
Fill the half baked pastry shell with the filling.
Put it back in the oven, and let it bake for another 20 minutes.
When the cheese and potato pie has a golden surface it is done.
Serve cheese and potato pie for breakfast, lunch or as a nice vegetarian main course.