Blimey. It’s been ages since I last wrote.
Wait a minute, can I even say Blimey?
How about Crikey? Have I been here long enough to warrant the use of such wackadoodle colloquialisms? I realise we are in Ireland, not England (or Australia for that matter), but folks here are constantly uttering the likes of blimey, and crikey and other funny expletives that I never, EVER would have imagined spewing out of my own mouth like I do now. I also say things like GARE-EDGE (Garage) and toilet instead of bathroom (Ewwww) too.
God help me.
Lo and behold, it looks like my last post was a potato post too. Sorry. But, this is Ireland, right? Spuds are a staple. Plus, since it’s time to dig up some new season potatoes, so why not slice them up and make a pizza out of them while you’re at it? I knew you’d agree.
So, Potato.ie and Lovepotatoes.co.uk are doing a fun campaign called Potatoes: More Than A Bit On the Side, and they reached out to ask if I’d want to develop a recipe for it. Clearly, they did not realise that I am essentially the Potato Queen of Kilcolman.
It went like this…
#TastyPotatoes: Hi Imen, want to do a potato recipe for us?
Me: (3 cartwheels and a herkie later) Are you kidding, I’d love to! I love spuds!
#TastyPotatoes: Great, thanks!
Me: I’ll be perfect, I even have a whole chapter in my book dedicated to the art of potatoes, I loooove potato pancakes, lefse, latkes, potato bread……
#TastyPotatoes: Fantastic, thank you!
Me: Did I tell you how much I love potatoes?! (round-off into the splits)
#TastyPotatoes: Okay, we will be back in touch.
Me: Omg wait! potato pizza!!!
#TastyPotatoes: Talk soon.
Me: …..Roasted potatoes………colcannon…..tatties….ahhhhh (back flip, Can-Can)
Here’s what I came up with: a recipe inspired by an unforgettable pizza with a layered potato “crust” we experienced at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York last year that Geoffrey has been begging me to try and recreate in our kitchen ever since. We improvised on how to create the crust and you can go crazy with any combination of toppings, we love this little mash-up, and looking forward to our next experiment too.
I hope you will love it as much as we do!
Potato Crusted Pizza with Gruyère, Carmelised Onion, Rosemary & Thyme
Serves 4-6
The potato crust is the star of this crispy, savoury pizza that is super easy to prepare, gluten-free and delicious.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 1 (12-inch) pizza
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds waxy, round potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
40ml beef, chicken or vegetable broth
250g gruyere cheese, shredded
125g prepared caramelised onions (here’s a great technique)
Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and cornstarch; set aside.
Using a food processor or mandoline, slice potatoes very thinly and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle half of the cornstarch mixture over the potato slices; toss the potatoes, then sprinkle them with the remaining cornstarch mixture, and toss again.
Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a 12-inch round pizza pan or pizza stone covered with parchment paper.
Layer the potatoes, overlapping the slices in concentric circles. Sprinkle the potatoes with the broth, brush them with the remaining oil, then press the potatoes down firmly with your clean hands to compact them into a crust.
Move the oven rack to its lowest position, and bake the potato crust for 20 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned and potatoes are tender.
Remove the potato crust from the oven and spread the carmelised onions, gruyere and herbs over the potatoes. Return the pizza to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is softened and the pizza is heated through. Remove from the oven and cut into wedges and devour.
Slan Abhaile,
Imen
