Savory Tart with Potatoes and Ham
Ingredients: - 1 package puff pastry - 3 medium potatoes - ham (my package had 227 g) - 1 mozzarella (I used goat cheese brie) of 180 g - 20 g parmesan - salt, pepper (optional) - 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of milk
The puff pastry package is taken out of the freezer the night before and left in the refrigerator until the next day, when we will start preparing the delicious tart. It is important for the dough to be well thawed so that it can be rolled out easily and evenly. We start by peeling medium-sized potatoes, which will be cut into thicker cubes, about 2-3 cm. The cut potatoes are boiled in a pot of boiling water with salt, letting them boil for exactly 10 minutes. This step is crucial to ensure that the potatoes do not become too soft but remain firm, ready to be combined with the other ingredients.
After 10 minutes, we drain the potatoes and let them cool in a bowl. In the meantime, we prepare the other ingredients: mozzarella is cut into small cubes, as is the ham, if it is not already pre-cut. Once all the ingredients are prepared, we mix the potatoes with the cubes of ham and mozzarella, creating a delicious mixture that will fill our tart.
We prepare the tart pan, which, in my case, has a diameter of 26 cm. We line it with baking paper to prevent the dough from sticking, and then we unfold the puff pastry sheet. It is important to pierce the dough here and there with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking, thus preventing excessive puffing. After placing the dough, we carefully pour the potato, ham, and mozzarella mixture into the pan, leveling it evenly.
For a special taste and aroma, we sprinkle grated parmesan on top, which will melt and form a golden and savory crust. The edges of the pastry sheet are brushed with a mixture of egg yolk and a tablespoon of milk, which will give a beautiful color and an appetizing appearance. Now, the tart is ready for the oven. We place it in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (395 degrees Fahrenheit) and let it bake for about 30 minutes. Personally, I like the tart to be more browned, so I keep it in the oven for 40 minutes.
Enjoy your meal! This recipe can be customized according to everyone's preferences. For example, the original recipe uses crescenza cheese, but for me, goat brie cheese is an excellent choice. If you don't like it, you can opt for mozzarella or any other soft cheese. Also, 'prociutto cotto' can be replaced with ham, as I did, to adapt the recipe to the available ingredients. This tart is perfect as both an appetizer and a main course, being filling and full of flavors!
