Potato and Onion Tart
Source:Bob Russell of Westport Rivers Winery, in Yankee Magazine, January 2000
This tart goes well with just about anything grilled, and it's no slouch as a main dish, either.
The heartiness of this potato tart calls fro a hearty wine.
5 russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
3 cloves garlic
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons unsalted butter or olive oil, plus butter for the pan
pinch nutmeg
salt and black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Peel the potatoes. Set 3 aside, and cut the other 2 in thirds.
2. Set the cut spuds in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt and the garlic cloves. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the temperature to simmering and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain vegetables over a bowl to retain their cooking liquid, return them to their pot, and crush with a masher.
3. Add 1/4 cup cooking liquid, 2 tablespoons of the half-and-half, the butter or oil, and the nutmeg, then stir with a wooden spoon. Add more cooking liquid as needed to make fluffy mashed potatoes. Season with salt- and pepper to taste.
4.While the mashies are cooking, thickly butter a 9-inch pie dish, then thinly slice the remaining potatoes by hand or with the slicing disk of a food processor. Lay the slices on the bottom of the pie dish, overlapping the edges, then spread the onion slices over the top.
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with remaining half-and-half until the level of liquid is even with potatoes on the bottom. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes, then allow the tart to sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish each slice with chives.
Yields one 9-inch pie, 4 to 6 main-dish or 8 side-dish servings.