Ottolenghi’s potato and spinach pie

With paper-thin slices of potato, spoonfuls of spicy chermoula and a flaky base, this rustic star is sure to take centre stage at your table.

Yotam Ottolenghi's spinach and potato pie.

This rustic star is sure to take centre stage at your table. With paper-thin slices of potato, spoonfuls of spicy chermoula and a flaky base, Yotam Ottolenghi has given us ‘feel-good’ in spades.

-

Ottolenghi’s potato and spinach pie

Ingredients

Chermoula Paste

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

30g roughly chopped coriander

10g fresh mild red chilli, roughly chopped

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted, crushed

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

11/2 tbs lemon juice

Pie

1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

2 (360g total) large onions, thinly sliced

350g frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to remove excess water

15g roughly chopped dill

11/2 tsp lemon zest

Plain flour, to dust

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, at least 24cm wide, thawed

130g Greek feta, roughly crumbled

1 (250g total) potato, skin-on, scrubbed

Method

1. For the chermoula paste, add garlic, coriander, chilli, cumin, paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, a good grind of pepper and 2 tbs oil to a small food processor. Whiz to a coarse paste and set aside.
2. For the pie, add 2 tbs oil to a large frypan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 12 minutes. Add half the chermoula paste (reserve the rest), spinach, 1 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, then add dill and lemon zest.
3. Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes.
4. Line a 24cm tart pan with removable base with a piece of baking paper large enough to cover the base and a bit over the sides. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 30cm square. Lay pastry in prepared pan, pressing to fit the base and side, and cutting away any excess so it overhangs by about 2cm.
5. Poke the base all over with a fork (about 10 times), then spread with the cooled spinach mixture. Sprinkle feta on top, then scrunch the overhanging pastry to create a rim. (Don’t worry if it’s not perfect.) Refrigerate, covered, for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 200°C. Use a mandoline or very sharp knife to cut the potato into paper-thin slices. Toss in a bowl with remaining 1 tbs oil, plus 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper.
7. Fan out slices on top of the pie in a circular pattern, overlapping slightly, to cover the filling but not the pastry rim.
8. Place pie on a tray and bake until cooked through and nicely coloured, about 50 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 15 minutes, before gently transferring to a serving plate.
9. Stir lemon juice and remaining 1 tbs oil into reserved chermoula and spoon half all over the pie. Serve pie warm or at room temperature, with the remaining chermoula in a bowl alongside.