Potato and rosemary tart recipe: the buttery, puffy way to celebrate the humble spud

This potato tart is ­perfect on its own, but a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a drizzle of honey can be glorious additions.

Elizabeth Hewson's potato and rosemary tart. Picture: Nikki To

Elizabeth Hewson

2 min read

1:16PMApril 14, 2023

The Weekend Australian Magazine

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There’s something about thinly ­layered potatoes on a tart that gets me all excited. This is a great way to celebrate the humble potato.

I recommend Désirée potatoes here for their accessibility, but each potato variety brings its own flavour and texture. The key is to slice the potatoes thinly so they cook with the tart. Using a mandolin is your best bet. Feel free to swap out potatoes for another favourite vegetable – in spring, I make this with zucchini. Tomatoes make a great substitute in summer.

This potato and rosemary tart is a celebration of the humble spud. Photo: Nikki To

Please buy your pastry made from real butter. Too often, store-bought puff pastry is made from margarine or anything other than butter. Full-butter puff pastry tastes better and is well, puffier, thanks to the process by which it is made. My favourite brand is Carême, which is found in food stores across Australia.

While the potato tart is ­perfect on its own, a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a drizzle of honey can be glorious additions. If that’s not your jam, salty anchovies layered over the top are also a nice adornment. Serve this tart ­either hot from the oven or at room temperature.

Also, don’t miss my foolproof vinaigrette recipe that makes any salad sing. Get the recipe here

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RECIPE: Potato and rosemary tart

Ingredients

• 1 x 375g sheet of butter puff pastry sheet, roughly 27cm x 36cm
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano or Parmesan)
• 3 Désirée potatoes, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 rosemary sprig, leaves torn off
• 1 x 100g ball buffalo mozzarella
• 1 egg, whisked
• To finish, optional
• Dried chilli flakes, honey, anchovies

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Roll out puff pastry onto a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray. Prick all over with a fork.
2. Drizzle over 1 teaspoon of olive oil, using a pastry brush (or your fingers), spread the oil around, leaving roughly 2cm gap around edge. Evenly place garlic slivers all over the oiled puff pastry. Scatter chopped chives and grate over Parmigiano Reggiano.
3. Using a mandolin, carefully slice the potatoes into very thin disks about 1mm wide. Toss potato slices with 1 tablespoon olive oil, rosemary leaves, salt and pepper.
4. Leaving a 2cm border of puff pastry, lay potato slices in rows, with each potato slice slightly overlapping. Scatter rosemary leaves over the top of potatoes. Rip up mozzarella ball and evenly place over the potatoes.
5. Give the tart a final drizzle of olive oil.
6. Fold in the border of the pastry over potato to enclose your tart and press edges down to seal. Whisk egg and, using a pastry brush, brush the sides of your tart.
7. Pop the tray into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
8. Remove from oven and stand for 5 minutes.
9. To serve, if you’re going the chilli, honey route, sprinkle with dried chilli and drizzle over 1 tablespoon honey. If you’re using anchovies, place them across the tart.