Andre Soltners Treflai Potato Pie Food

ANDRE SOLTNER'S TREFLAI (POTATO PIE)

Steps:

• Line the bottom of a nine-inch pie pan with a little more than half of the pastry and chill. Reserve and chill the remaining pastry.
• Cut the bacon strips crosswise into pieces a quarter-inch wide. Sautee the bacon until just beginning to brown around the edges. Drain on absorbent paper.
• Wash the potato slices in cold water to remove excess starch. Drain and dry them. Toss with parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Make a layer of overlapping slices of potato in the pastry shell, using half the potatoes. Cover with the pieces of bacon, then arrange the egg slices over the bacon and top with the rest of the potato. Spread with the creme fraiche. Refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Roll out the remaining dough into a circle to fit the top of the pie. Beat the remaining egg yolk with a teaspoon of cold water, brush the edges of the pastry, cover the pie and crimp and seal the edges. Brush the top with egg wash and cut several decorative slits in it.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 50 minutes longer, then lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake another 10 minutes. Allow the pie to rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

SAINT ANDRE AND FINGERLING POTATO PIES

Steps:

• Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in butter until coarse meal forms. Add egg and 2 tablespoons cold water. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more cold water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 5-inch rounds, gathering scraps and rerolling dough as needed to make 6 rounds total. Transfer rounds to six 4 1/2-inch-diameter tart pans with 3/4-inch-high sides and removable bottoms. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of each pan, extending 1/8 inch above tart pan edge. Bake crusts until golden brown, pressing down with back of fork if bubbles form, about 22 minutes. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix first 10 ingredients in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Bake until onions are golden and almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring every 20 minutes, about 2 hours. Cool. Remove thyme sprig and bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, place potatoes in small saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Boil until potatoes are tender when pierced with knife, about 10 minutes. Drain; cool. Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk yolks, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in small bowl to blend. Divide onions among crusts, spreading evenly. Arrange potato slices in single layer over onions. Divide egg mixture among pies.
• Bake pies until edge of filling is set, about 7 minutes. Top each pie with 1 slice cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove sides from tart pans and serve pies warm or at room temperature.

POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked.
• Preheat oven to 425*F.
• Drain the potatoes well, add the milk and butter and mash until smooth, then stir in the cheese and seasoning.
• Butter a 1 1/2 to 2 pint pie dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, pressing them to the base and sides with the back of a spoon.
• Spoon the potato and cheese mixture into the dish and rough up the top with a fork.
• Brush with the melted butter.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve with pickled beets or red cabbage and thick slices of crusty brown bread (buttered of course!).

ANDRé SOLTNER'S ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the thyme, 2 of the tarragon sprigs, the parsley sprigs and onions in the cavity of the chicken; season inside and out with the salt and pepper.
• On the stove, heat a roasting pan over high heat. Add the peanut oil and the chicken and brown on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and place in the oven. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, basting frequently, or until a meat thermometer reaches between 158 and 160 degrees when inserted in the thigh.
• Immediately drop 1 teaspoon of water in the roasting pan, close the oven door and turn off the heat. After 3 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and place the bird on a platter. Carefully drain the fat from the pan and place on top of the stove over medium heat. Add the wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan well. Add the chicken broth, the reserved tarragon leaves and the parsley. Simmer for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and serve immediately over the chicken.