Rustic potato and onion pie

To prepare the rustic potato and onion pie, start with the shortcrust pastry, if necessary, you can consult the procedure Easy Shortcrust Pastry. Pour the flour into the blender and add the cold butter from the fridge in pieces 1. Then add the salt 2 and activate the blender to obtain a sandy mixture 3.

Pour the mixture onto a cold surface and form the classic well in the center, where you will start pouring water little by little, mixing with a fork to gradually gather the flour from the edges 4. Then knead everything quickly until you get a compact and fairly elastic dough 5. Form a dough ball and wrap it in plastic wrap 6, then place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough rests, proceed to prepare the pie filling: wash the potatoes thoroughly under running water and peel them with a peeler or a small knife 7, then cut them into slices about 1/8 inch thick 8. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil, salt it, and immerse the potato slices 9.

Blanch the potato slices for 5-6 minutes 10, then drain them with a slotted spoon 11 and transfer them to a baking tray lined with parchment paper to dry, trying not to overlap the slices 12.

Now wash the onions, remove the outer layer, and cut them into slices about 1/8 inch thick 13. In a large pan, place the butter in pieces and melt it over low heat, then soften the onions over low heat for 5-6 minutes, then add salt and pepper 14, turn off the heat, and set aside. Prepare a 10-inch diameter pie pan for baking the pie: first, carefully brush the surface and edges of the pie pan with a bit of butter 15.

Then, take the shortcrust pastry dough from the fridge, shape it into a round shape with your hands, and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 inch 16. Line the pie pan with the rolled-out shortcrust pastry 17. Adhere the pastry to the pie pan and remove the excess dough from the edges with a small knife, then prick the pastry with a fork 18.

Now you can proceed with the blind baking of the shortcrust pastry (for this procedure, you can consult the cooking school: how to blind bake) which will enhance the crispness of the base: line the shortcrust pastry with a sheet of parchment paper and then cover it with dried beans (or other dried legumes) 19. Place the pie pan in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes (if using a fan oven, at 320°F for 10-15 minutes) 20. After the necessary time, remove the pie pan from the oven, remove the paper with the legumes, and let it cool slightly. Brush the bottom of the pastry with egg white 21 and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes at the same temperature. Then remove the pie pan from the oven.

While the base cools slightly, prepare the cream to cover the rustic pie: in a bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, then pour in the fresh liquid cream 22, mix everything with a whisk 23, add the grated nutmeg and chopped chives 34, combine the ingredients, and set the mixture aside. This will be the covering cream for your pie.

Then start assembling your rustic pie: place a layer of onions on the pastry 25, then add the potato slices and continue alternating the layers until all the ingredients are used up (26-27). Finish with the potato layer.

Finally, pour the cream of cream and eggs prepared earlier 28 and bake the pie for 20-25 minutes in a static oven at 350°F (if using a fan oven, at 320°F for 15-20 minutes) 29. When the rustic pie is nicely golden, remove it from the oven 30, and let it rest for 10 minutes. You can serve your rustic potato and onion pie hot as a main or single dish!