Cheesy Delight

Crispy Potato Bites

Ingredients

• Potatoes: 750 grams, washed (about 3 large)
• Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
• Salt: 1 teaspoon
• Garlic powder: 2 teaspoons
• Onion powder: 2 teaspoons
• Paprika: 2 teaspoons
• Rosemary dredged in olive oil (optional)
• A handful of Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Vegetable oil

Method

Scrub and peel potatoes. Use a box grater and grate potatoes into shreds. Once grated squeeze out the liquid from the potatoes and place in a dry empty bowl. You will have to squeeze a lot to ensure you get the driest possible potato shreds

Add all the spices and corn flour into dried out potatoes and mix well

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Add vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, form thumb-size balls of the potato mixture and fry until golden, about 45 seconds per side.

Serve hot, with a good tumble in some rosemary oil and parmesan.

Ham and Cheese Mini Galettes With Pesto

Ingredients (for 10 mini Galettes)

Pie Crust

• All-purpose flour: 1 cup
• Parmesan (or any other hard cheese like Cheddar) grated: 1/2 cup
• Unsalted butter: 250 grams of, cold and cubed
• Ice-cold water: 2 to 4 tablespoons
• Salt: 1/4 teaspoon

Filling

• Ham salami: 250 gram
• White cheddar cheese: 250 grams

For the Pesto

• Fresh Basil: 1 Cup
• Pine Nuts: 1/3
• Olive Oil: 1/3 Cup
• Garlic: 2 Cloves of, roughly chopped
• Parmesan: 1/2 cup (any other cheese like Gouda, Manchego, and Mozzarella also tastes good)
• Lemon: 1/2
• Salt to taste

Topping

• Egg: 1 large
• Heavy cream or whole milk: 1 tablespoon

Pie Dough

Mix dry ingredients— flour, cheese, and salter together. Add the chilled butter and work it with your hands. Breaking down the butter with your fingers and thumbs into smaller pieces (the size of a pea). As you work on it, add cold water to mix the flour together and prevent the butter from melting.

Put dough on the lightly floured counter and pat it together to make one uniform piece. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit). Roll the dough out to a 12-inch (30 cm) round. Using a round cap or pastry cutter (about 3 inched in diameter) make cuts. Don’t worry if it’s uneven. It goes with the rustic vibe! Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill while preparing the filling.

For the pesto

Wash the basil well rinsing about 3 times and submerge water as you prepare all the other ingredients. In the meantime, start boiling water and cook pasta as per the instructions.

Start by emulsifying the fats. Add the pine nuts, olive oil, and garlic into a food processor and pulse until the nuts are well ground into a paste

Add the basil lightly draining the water, along with cheese, salt & pepper. Pulse until a thick green paste is formed. Approximately a minute. Check in the middle for consistency. Finish by adding lemon juice and mixing with a spoon.

Assembly

Place 2 teaspoons of the pesto on the pie base spread it evenly. Add triangular cut-outs of the ham on top and then thin slices on top. I usually put 4-5 thin slices for a great melt.

Gently fold the pastry over the filling, pleating to hold it in. Again, imperfect is totally fine. Brush the crust generously with one beaten egg and heavy cream.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From the September 2020 issue of FHM India.