Tá
brón orm (I'm sorry)—I completely
missed National Potato Day last week.
Where was my head? (Deep in trying to figure out which of six or eight possible
endings I want to use for my next book.) And me a good Irishwoman!
So I'm making up for it
today. Actually, this recipe manages to
combine not only potatoes but also apples, to celebrate the new harvest. It's based on a recipe by Margaret Johnson (I
have two of her lovely Irish cookbooks) that was posted online. Given the
ingredients, I couldn't not try it, so here it is.
One note before we jump
in: I'm including a picture of a lovely
antique apple peeler that I haven't had the nerve to use (the blade needs
sharpening). It comes from Leominster,
home of Johnny Appleseed, whose family orchard still flourishes there. But I used the modern version, which is quick
and easy—and works just as well for potatoes as for apples.
Peelers, old and new |
Potato Apple Cake
(given the
structure, it's really more of a pie, sort of)
4 potatoes,
peeled and cut into 2" pieces (not specified, but I used the waxy kind,
not the floury kind)
2 Tblsp
butter
1 Tblsp
sugar
¼ tsp
ground ginger
¾ cup
all-purpose flour, sifted (plus more for rolling out your dough)
4 Granny
Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 Tblsp
butter
½ cup brown
sugar, firmly packed
Preheat the
oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease an
8" pie plate.
Cook the
potatoes in boiling salted water until tender 12-15 minutes. Drain and mash (I riced mine, with a vintage
ricer that was my mother's). Add the butter, sugar and ginger
and mix well. Stir in the flour to make
a soft dough. Let it sit for a while to cool and to pull itself together (it's
sticky!).
On a
lightly floured board, form the dough into a ball and divide in half. Roll one half into an 8" circle and lay
in the greased pie plate (you can stretch it).
Note: keep flouring both the
board and the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Adding extra flour won't hurt. (You may notice I did not include a picture of this stage. It wasn't pretty, but I won the battle.)
Arrange the
apple slices over the layer of dough, overlapping them in two circles. Moisten the edges of the dough.
Roll out
the other half into an 8" circle and place it over the apples. Press the edges together and flute them to
make a standing edge. With a sharp
knife, make a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake until
the crust is browned, 25-30 minutes.
Now here's
the fun part: Remove the cake/pie from
the oven and cut a 2" circle in the top crust. Carefully remove the circle, add the butter
and the brown sugar (just stuff it in without breaking up the crust), and
replace the circle you cut out. Return
the cake to the oven and bake until the butter and sugar have melted, about 5
minutes. It's intriguing how quickly they disperse inside the pie.
Slice and
serve immediately (this is not a good keeper, but it's a small pie so there
shouldn't be leftovers anyway), with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered
sugar if you like.
It tasted
pretty good—not very potato-ey. That bit
of ginger makes a difference.
You win the prize for most unusual recipe this week Sheila! We should have all been there to help sample...
ReplyDeleteWhat an intriguing idea! I must try it. When you say " I used the waxy kind, not the floury kind" does that mean russets?
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting recipe!
ReplyDeleteLibby, I used the ones that aren't Russetts. I might try Russetts next time (there might even be a next time!)--they might help the dough stick together better.
ReplyDeleteIn Margaret Johnson's version, she said that some people make it on a griddle. Based on my experience, I can't imagine the whole think holding together long enough to cook!
But we ate it all!
Once again you've found something very different yet we all want to eat it!
ReplyDeleteThe fact there will be a next time is the proof that it works.
I was going to say in the pudding, but we already had pie and cake ...
Thanks, Sheila!
Sheila, very interesting. I had no idea about those apple and potato peelers. I use the hold in your hand kind. I have to admit, to a mystery author, those look like great weapons.
ReplyDeleteDaryl / Avery
I'm always intrigued by your recipes, Sheila. An apple pie with a potato crust? Who'd have thought it? Though potatoes make very tasty bread, so why not? It looks wonderful!
ReplyDelete~Krista