Crispy Potato Pastry - Worlds 50 Best (#4)

As y'all have seen I have been a little slow in my posts this week. I have been running around trying to find ingredients for recipes I had planned on making and realizing how hard that still is with Covid-19 messing up everything. So this recipe was initially inspired by a classic Le Pate de Pommes de Terre from Julien Royer and morphed into my version which is an easy breakfast dish. This totally works as a side for brunch or can be a meal on its own. The best part of this dish is it can be made the night before and reheated making it a super simple addition to a breakfast party.

Everyone loves loaded baked potatoes and crispy puff pastry so why not have those two things together.

Recipe:

2lbs Red bliss potatoes

50g Thyme

3 cloves Garlic (peeled whole)

2 qts Heavy cream

10g Chives (chopped)

1/4 lb Thick-cut maple bacon (diced)

2 sheets Puff pastry

1 Egg

to taste salt and pepper

garnish Sour cream

garnish microgreens

Prepping

First, start by peeling and cleaning the potatoes. You then want to slice them thin (about 2 millimetres). If you have a mandolin this makes the process a lot easier and I would strongly recommend one; however, if you do not, it can be done with a knife. Regardless of how you are cutting them be careful and follow safe cutting techniques (I will be creating a post on basic cutting techniques, safety tips, and sharpening procedures, which I will link here when it is completed). The one tip I can give here though is go slowly and methodically and do not push yourself past the extent of your skills.

Place the potatoes, garlic, and thyme in a large pot and add enough cream to cover over contents. Add salt and pepper to the cream to taste. Set on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until the potatoes are beginning to cook but still firm enough to hold their shape. Strain the potatoes out and continue reducing the cream until there is only half remaining. Refrigerate the potatoes until they are below room temperature.

While all of the cream is reducing, cook the bacon into crispy bacon bits. Strain out the grease and allow to cool.

Forming the Potatoes

If you have a 6 inch metal ring mould then line it with plastic wrap. If you do not you can line a steep sided cereal bowl with plastic wrap instead (This is what I did and it worked great).

Once you have the bowl lined start laying the potatoes into circles with the bacon and chives alternating after each layer. When the stacked potatoes are about 1 1/2 inch deep pour 1/4 cup of the reduced heavy cream over the potato. Allow this to set in the fridge for about a half hour.

Building the Pastry

Once the potatoes are set remove them from the mould and place on top of a circle of puff pastry. Place another circle of puff pastry on top and force out any excess air. Crimp the edges to seal the pastry and cut off excess. Then cut a 1/4 inch hole at the top and use a rolled up tube of aluminum foil as a chimney to allow steam to exit. Apply an egg wash to the pastry, allow to dry, then apply again.

Bake in the oven at 400F for 5 minutes then turn the oven down to 350F and continue baking for 15 more minutes. Use a pick to test if the potatoes are fully cooked by inserting it through the vent in the middle. The complete cooking time will depend on how large the mould you used was.

Allow to rest 10 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and microgreens. Enjoy!!!!