A pithivier is a domed puff-pastry pie as a Christmas centrepiece. With a crumbly pastry exterior and packed filling oozing with gooey comté, it’s a wow dish and a great way of using up your Christmas or Thanksgiving leftovers.
Prep tie: 45 minutes/Cook time: 35 minutes/Serves: 8
Ingredients:
800g floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper), cut into 3mm-thick slices
100ml double cream
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 x 370g sheets of puff pastry, thawed
plain flour, for dusting
2 tbsp cranberry sauce
250g comté or brie cheese, cut into cubes
200g shredded leftover turkey meat
1 egg yolk, beaten (freeze the extra white to use in another recipe)
Method:
Cook the potato slices in a large pan of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, then spread out over a clean tea towel and leave to steam-dry. Once cool, combine with the cream, mustard and seasoning.
Pre-heat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7). Unroll one of the puff pastry sheets over a lightly floured surface and roll out so it’s slightly thinner. Cut out a 25cm circle. Spread the cranberry sauce over the pastry disc, then arrange half the potato mixture on top in a neat circle. Scatter over the cheese and turkey, then top with the remaining potatoes, patting the filling into a dome shape.
Roll the second pastry sheet out until it is 30cm wide, and cut out a 30cm circle. Lift this over the filling and smooth it over, pressing it down at the edge and easing out any air as you go. Crimp the edge together to seal, then cut a small air hole in the top and chill for 20 minutes. (Note that this can be covered and chilled for up to 24 hrs before glazing and baking.)
Brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg yolk. Score lines all around the pithivier using the tip of a small sharp knife, starting from the steam hole and curving down to the edge.
Transfer to your pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.
