Spinach, Celeriac & Potato Pie
Serves 6-8
Inspired by a traditional dish from the Alsace region of France, this dish has a garlicky flavor complemented by cream, potatoes, and celeriac. Combining the potatoes with celeriac lends a subtle earthy flavor, while the crisp pastry crust makes for a satisfying finish.
Ingredients
2 large yukon gold potatoes (about 3/4 lb)
1 small celeriac (about 3/4 lb)
5 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, washed and green parts removed
8-10 large spinach leaves (or other hearty greens you might have around), leaves and stems separated
1/2 cup flat parsley, chopped
1 large egg yolk
1 lb package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 1/2 cups gruyère cheese, grated
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the potatoes and celeriac into 1/4 inch thick rounds, and place in a saucepan covered with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and let cool.
In a saucepan, heat 3/4 cup heavy cream, garlic cloves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
Cut the leek in half lengthwise, and thinly slice. This should yield about 2 cups. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the leeks until tender, about 10 minutes. Coarsely chop the spinach stems, add to the skillet, and cook with the leeks another 10 minutes. Then add the spinach leaves and cook to soften, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the puff pastry dough to a 9” x 13” rectangle and transfer to the center of a lightly oiled baking tray.
To build the pie, layer the ingredients like a lasagna, starting with a 1/2 cup of the grated gruyère and cheddar cheeses, then adding half the potatoes and celeriac, and finally the leek and spinach mix. Then add the rest of the cheese, followed by the rest of the potatoes, and finally the remaining vegetables.
Drizzle 1/2 of the cream sauce over the layered pie, then roll out the remaining half of pastry dough into a 9” x 13” rectangle to cover the layered pie.
Crack the egg into a small dish and whisk to make an egg wash. With a pastry brush, use the egg wash to seal the edges of the dough together and crimp like a piecrust. Reserve some egg wash for a final coating. Cut two slits in the top of the piecrust, and pour in the rest of the cream sauce.
Finish with a final coating of egg wash, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until it bubbles up through the slits in the top. Remove from the oven, slice into wedges, and serve.
