It’s been an uninspiring period and I haven’t been feeling well but now that my tum tum is better, I feel like cooking and baking again. Comfort food on the menu, so I made this Ukrainian-style Potato Cabbage + Leek Tart as my weekend lunch food. The pan was actually the inspiration — I found it at a thrift store and just said “Ukraine” to me (go figure, with those colors!) What came first — the recipe or the pan? Sort of like what came first — the chicken or the egg!
Ingredients
for the pastry
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
3-6 tablespoons ice cold water
1 egg, mixed with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash
for the filling
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, cut to 1/2 inch dice
1 leek, white + light green parts only, cut to 1/2 inch dice
1 small or half a medium head of cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
optional:
1 small Yukon gold potato, sliced to 1/8 inch with a mandolin, for garnish
Directions
Prepare your crust: In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Cut in the butter, blending until the mixture resembles coarse sand (with some larger pieces of butter). Add three tablespoons of ice water, using a fork to mix the dough together. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together in a slightly crumbly ball. Turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough into a flattened disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (up to 24 hours).
Make your filling. In a sauté pan, melt one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the potatoes and sauté until tender and lightly browned. Remove to a work bowl. Repeat with the remaining butter and oil, then add the leek and cabbage. Sauté until wilted and lightly browned. Add the potatoes back into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375F. Roll the crust to a 12 inch circle and fit to a 10 inch pie plate. Crimp edges and brush with the egg wash. Fill with the filling and bake for 45-50 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Serve hot immediately or at room temperature.
