POTATO, ONION AND GRUYÈRE CHEESE PIE (V)
The idea behind this crowd-pleaser comes from the potato bake, which completes a braai so perfectly. But this version adds a surprise element: it hides the potato bake under a veil of phyllo pastry, adding a deliciously buttery crunch as you bite into the creamy filling.
prep time: 1½ hours | serves: 4
6 large potatoes, peeled
2 onions
40 ml olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 g gruyère cheese, finely grated
250 g crème fraîche
60 ml melted butter
2 sheets of phyllo pastry
Preheat the oven to 180 ÅãC. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, and boil until soft. Drain them. Then, halve the onions and slice them thinly. Heat the olive oil and fry the onions and garlic until soft.
Butter the base of the oven dish. Slice up the cooked potatoes and place one layer in the oven dish. Season with salt and pepper before spooning a layer of onion over the potato and sprinkling some cheese over the onion. Spoon a layer of crème fraîche over the cheese, and repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
Brush the individual phyllo pastry sheets with butter and cover the filling with the sheets of buttered phyllo. Place in the oven and bake for 20 – 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown.
