Silent Partners of the Plate

Potatoes are not the focal point of exotic cooking. Boiled, mashed, baked or simmered, they are the silent partners of the dinner plate.

The French, however, treat potatoes with great respect. Potato Pie is a great favorite in the French provinces. “It is usually served hot the first day, cold the next,” writes Eleanor Graves in “Great Dinners From Life,” the old classic. “Chances are you won’t have any left to serve cold.”

The dish starts with mashed potatoes, eggs and cream, but is open to variation. I prefer it hot and hearty and usually add paprika or cayenne to the filling. I include bacon or a smoked meat, though this can certainly be omitted. I also find that a slightly salty cheese, such as Asiago, is a needed balance for the potatoes and cream.

POTATO PIE Crust 1 green onion, including tops, minced 1 cup mashed potatoes 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons whipping cream 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns, packed in brine, drained, or freshly ground white pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon paprika or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled 2 tablespoons coarsely shredded Asiago cheese

Prepare Crust. Chill while preparing filling.

Place green onion in mixing bowl. Add mashed potatoes, sour cream, whipping cream, eggs and salt and mix until smooth. Mash peppercorns with back of spoon and add to mixture along with paprika and bacon.

Spoon potato mixture into chilled pie crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees until pie is puffed and golden brown and knife inserted into pie comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Leftover slice can be served cold. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Either make mashed potatoes from scratch, using 1 large potato, or use instant mashed potatoes.

Each serving contains about: 424 calories; 560 mg sodium; 221 mg cholesterol; 31 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 0.32 gram fiber.

Crust 1/2 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon cold water

Mix together flour and salt by pulsing once or twice in bowl of food processor. Add butter and shortening and process with off and on turns until mixture is crumbly. With machine running, add egg yolk and water and process just until dough comes together. Gather dough into ball and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.

Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to form 10-inch circle. Fit into 7-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim off excess dough. Chill 1 hour.