Elevated Potato and Leek Tart

Oh, what a shamefully long time it has been since I’ve posted a recipe. With lockdown ending, going back to work, and trying to sort out a visa, life has gone right back into full speed. Then again, here we find ourselves in lockdown two, preparing before the end of this one for lockdown three…

At work, a whole entire roll of puff pastry was going to go to waste (as well as 40 sausage rolls!). I was standing in the kitchen when this was announced, and being the hero of sustainability that I am, with two hungry boys at home (because the flatmates are here this lockdown rather than Aaron!), I took 9 of the hefty sausage rolls and this massive roll of pâte feuilletée. The question that should precede such an acquisition might be “what can I do with 5 kilogrammes of pâte feuilletée?” – for me this question came on the walk home, with a long heavy box tucked under my arm.

So I got inventive, and I created some French favourites (chaussons aux pommes) and some galettes which became a fast favourite here. The potato and leek combination is such a classic flavour duo, and adding Swiss Gruyère and a drizzle of honey brings such a delightful combination of flavours you will be thinking about it all the time. If you have not got access to 5kg of puff pastry, or if you feel like making your own, you can follow the quick guide I used in the Tomato and Feta Galette recipe for this recipe.

All this galette requires is: an egg to wash the pastry, Gruyère, fresh dill, a bit of cream, olive oil, potatoes, leeks, salt and pepper, and a bit of butter (and of course the pastry itself). Gathered it all up? Let’s go.

Preheat your oven to 200ºC.

The first step is to mix the grated Gruyère cheese (150g) with 3Tbps of cream. Once they are combined and spreadable, put that across your pastry (which should be laid out ready across a baking sheet, with parchment under) leaving a nice border. Sprinkle a healthy amount of fresh dill around the top of this mixture. Crush some garlic over top and sprinkle with some pepper if you’d like, or just leave it classic. I’ve done both and both taste amazing…

In a skillet, melt about 2 Tbsp of butter and add chopped leek. I cut my leek up until it is pale green, throw away the tops (or save them for veg stock scraps), and then slice down the middle before slicing thinly. Cook the leek in the butter just until it is soft. It will cook in the oven so we don’t want it to take any color!

Using a mandoline or patience and a sharp knife, thinly slice 2 white potatoes. Leave the skins on them but make sure to wash off all the dirt before you slice.

Now, carefully layer the sliced potatoes over the Gruyère mixture (this might remind you of the beautiful fun of Pizza con Patate!). Once layered, drizzle with olive oil and use some flaky salt to add a nice flavour boost. Scatter the leeks over top of the potatoes and fold the edges of the tart over.

Before putting this in the oven it is super important to give it a really good egg wash! Personally, I just beat the entire egg with a tiny bit of water and spread it all around the edges of the pastry. Everyone has their own egg wash technique, do what works for you.

And voilà, leave it to bake for about 30 minutes. It may need a bit longer, check in to see when the potatoes are soft.

Once out of the oven, add some more dill sprigs, freshly ground black pepper, a hearty pinch of flaky salt, and (the best part) drizzle with honey. I hardly could wait for this to cool – each time we made it, it was essentially immediately in our mouths!

And there you go – an easy throw together lunch or dinner that is perfect on a chilly day. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!