You know you’re Belarussian if you love potatoes. Just like my strong bond with potato pancakes, I have to say that this potato pie, a recipe from Melissa D’arabian, nostalgically resonates with my roots and my stomach.
The perfectly flaky crust is a great vessel to hold the fork-tender potatoes, which are perfumed with bacon and onions. Luscious cream envelopes the potatoes in silkiness as it becomes absorbed in the cooking process. The presentation is beautiful as well, but not too pretty to eat, of course:)
Yield: 1 pie
Ingredients:
4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 small onion, peeled and sliced into half circles
2/3 cup heavy cream
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water
Pie Crust:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 to 10 tablespoons ice water
Place the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Divide the dough in half, and shape each into a disc. Cover in aluminum foil or place in a plastic ziptop bag and refrigerate at least half an hour.
Roll out each half of dough into a 10-12 inch round. Drape one of them into a pie plate, return to the refrigerator. I usually spread a piece of aluminum foil in the refrigerator and place the second pie crust there while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon into crispy bits. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. Pour off all the bacon grease except 1 tablespoon, return skillet to heat and add onions. Cook for about 5 min or until golden brown. Set aside with the bacon.
Slice the potatoes very thinly, 1/8-1/4 inch slices. Take the pie plate with the crust from the refrigerator and layer the potatoes in a circular single layer, slightly overlapping. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with bacon and onions. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Microwave the cream until it’s simmering, about 1 1/2 minutes and pour the cream over the potatoes. Cover the pie with the dough, trim the edges and crimp the edges closed.
Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape.
Bake the pie for 40-55 min. One way to check if the potatoes are done is to carefully poke the potatoes with a fork or knife through one of the slits. If potatoes are tender, the pie is ready.
1 small onion, peeled and sliced into half circles
2/3 cup heavy cream
3–4 medium potatoes, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water
Pie Crust:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 to 10 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
Pie Crust:
Place the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition of water.
Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps.
Divide the dough in half, and shape each into a disc.
Cover in aluminum foil or place in a plastic ziptop bag and refrigerate at least half an hour.
Roll out each half of dough into a 10-12 inch round.
Drape one of them into a pie plate, return to the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Assembly:
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon into crispy bits. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
Pour off all the bacon grease except 1 tablespoon, return skillet to heat and add onions.
Cook for about 5 min or until golden brown.
Set aside with the bacon.
Slice the potatoes very thinly, 1/8-1/4 inch slices.
Take the pie plate with the crust from the refrigerator and layer the potatoes in a circular single layer, slightly overlapping.
Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with bacon and onions.
Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full.
Microwave the cream until it’s simmering, about 1 1/2 minutes and pour the cream over the potatoes.
Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed.
Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape.
Bake the pie for 40-55 min. When the potatoes are fork tender, it is done.
12 Comments
Nadia sokol
Can not wait to try!! My mouth is watering!!! I love cooking myself and I always look at different sites for new recipes! This is great Olga!!
Inna Sysa
Olga,
This looks yummy!!! Really would like to try it. Is there another way to make the crust without a food processor?? Can you use the store bought pie crust?
Olga K.
Thanks Inna!
You can easily make this crust without a food processor. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch peices and put it in the freezer for 10-15 min. Use a fork and cut the butter into the flour and salt to form a crumbly texture. Add the ice water and mix quickly with your hands or a wooden spoon just until it starts to form a ball. Continue with the recipe. You want to have little peices of frozen butter distributed in the dough so that when it bakes it melts in little pockets and forms a flaky and tender crust. I absolutely love this crust. I’ve done this before with great results. It only takes a few minutes. You can use a store-bought pie crust, but the taste and texture may not be the same.
Inna Sysa
Thank you Olga!
I actually found something in my kitchen that resembles a food processor and used it and it worked. The pie turned out great and i will definitely make it again.
thepeopleskitchen
Making this today 🙂
Ann
Hi Olga, do you think I could make this without topping it with the second half of the pie dough? Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend it, Ann, since the two crusts create a little “oven” of sorts, to help the potatoes cook through. You can certainly try it. I would recommend covering the pie with aluminum foil, to help the potatoes cook faster. If you cook them completely uncovered, the potatoes will take a long time to cook and may be a little dry.
Ann
Thank you– That makes perfect sense!
Mary
Hi Olga, thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us. I do have a question, do you think I can make this with out heavy cream? I really want to make this tomorrow but I dont have heavy cream on hand?
Thank you in advance.
You can use half and half or milk, but the potatoes will be somewhat watery, Mary.
Jenny
Olga, would this work with chicken breasts or a ground meat? If so, how do you recommend adding these other meats? Cook them first then add to the potatoes and bake? Or add them in raw?
Thanks for your help 🙂
Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. 
Divide the dough in half, and shape each into a disc. 
Cover in aluminum foil or place in a plastic ziptop bag and refrigerate at least half an hour.
Prep Time:
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Nadia sokol
Can not wait to try!! My mouth is watering!!! I love cooking myself and I always look at different sites for new recipes! This is great Olga!!
Inna Sysa
Olga,
This looks yummy!!! Really would like to try it. Is there another way to make the crust without a food processor?? Can you use the store bought pie crust?
Olga K.
Thanks Inna!
You can easily make this crust without a food processor. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch peices and put it in the freezer for 10-15 min. Use a fork and cut the butter into the flour and salt to form a crumbly texture. Add the ice water and mix quickly with your hands or a wooden spoon just until it starts to form a ball. Continue with the recipe. You want to have little peices of frozen butter distributed in the dough so that when it bakes it melts in little pockets and forms a flaky and tender crust. I absolutely love this crust. I’ve done this before with great results. It only takes a few minutes. You can use a store-bought pie crust, but the taste and texture may not be the same.
Inna Sysa
Thank you Olga!
I actually found something in my kitchen that resembles a food processor and used it and it worked. The pie turned out great and i will definitely make it again.
thepeopleskitchen
Making this today 🙂
Ann
Hi Olga, do you think I could make this without topping it with the second half of the pie dough? Thanks!
olgak7
I wouldn’t recommend it, Ann, since the two crusts create a little “oven” of sorts, to help the potatoes cook through. You can certainly try it. I would recommend covering the pie with aluminum foil, to help the potatoes cook faster. If you cook them completely uncovered, the potatoes will take a long time to cook and may be a little dry.
Ann
Thank you– That makes perfect sense!
Mary
Hi Olga, thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us. I do have a question, do you think I can make this with out heavy cream? I really want to make this tomorrow but I dont have heavy cream on hand?
Thank you in advance.
olgak7
You can use half and half or milk, but the potatoes will be somewhat watery, Mary.
Jenny
Olga, would this work with chicken breasts or a ground meat? If so, how do you recommend adding these other meats? Cook them first then add to the potatoes and bake? Or add them in raw?
Thanks for your help 🙂
olgak7
I’ve never added other meat to this meal, but if I were going to do it, I would cook it first before adding it into the potatoes.