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This Potato Slab Pie Is Rich and Creamy Bliss from the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen

The secret ingredient is salsa verde.

By Micaela BahnPublished: Nov 18, 2022

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Welcome to The Pioneer Woman Cookbook Club! This month, we're featuring chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad: The former is a rebound restaurateur and food writer; the latter is the head of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (OTK) and author. Together, they are the team behind the best-selling cookbook OTK: Shelf Love and the new follow-up OTK: Extra Good Things. Ahead, Noor and Yotam talk to us about why we should all "Ottolenghify" meals and provide a recipe for their deliciously comforting potato slab pie.

Cooking dinner is an art like anything else. The ritual can feel creative, surprising, and fulfilling. And that feeling can just as quickly dip into the territory of uninspired or boring. What's there to do when you've run through your repertoire or made that favorite dish one too many times? According to famed chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad, you add a little something "extra." That is the essential idea behind their most recent collaboration, Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things.

The colorful cookbook is the natural progression from its sister title Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love.Each comes from, as you might guess, the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (OTK) which Noor leads. "Where Shelf Love is all about clearing your shelves, Extra Good Things is all about filling them back in," says Noor. Each recipe is paired with a handy condiment, marinade, pickle, or sprinkle of an additional something that accessorizes and elevates the meal. "It's almost a two-for-one deal," Noor adds, "because you get the recipe, and you'll also get more."

Imagine a laboratory where a bunch of food-obsessed experts experiment with recipes until they get them right, and you have the test kitchen. Yotam's particular style of cooking has always been about collaboration. The Israeli-British chef has a team that hails from all corners of the globe, yet they all speak an international language of food. "The language is about procedures, flavors, and combinations," says Yotam."There's very little explaining to do when we realize that something hits the spot."

Their potato slab pie is a perfect example of a collaboration that satisfies a worldly appetite. Noor, who is Bahraini, notes that many cultures have a dish that's quite similar. Their recipe is creamy, with a delightful mixture of feta, gruyere, and loads of herbs in the base. It's rich and comforting, but the salsa verde on the side is what lifts the whole thing.

"The salsa has mint, basil, and parsley blitzed up with lots of green olives, vinegar, and olive oil. It's this sharp, acidic, herbaceous thing that echoes the herbs already in the pie, and it's how we Ottolenghified something that is very familiar," says Noor. To "Ottolenghify" is to add flair or a slight twist to the familiar—it's a surprise in the mouth, which the test kitchen always aims for.

Verena, a test kitchen team member, created the pie recipe as something portable, shareable, and good to take on a picnic. But before it could make it into the book, Noor suggested the salsa pairing to give it a sharp kick. "Once I convinced her, her Scottish German roots said OK."

Extra Good Things is filled with clever combinations that turn regular meals into showstoppers. You can find a range of difficulty levels, from weekend projects to weeknight meals. On one end of the spectrum is a Yotam favorite, the fried chicken in lemon sauce. Here, you have fried chicken with a crust "swimming in a delicious, sweet lemony sauce with cilantro and spring onion on top." On the other end, you will find ka'ak, a Levantine bread/bagel stuffed with cheese that requires more planning.

OTK books are about teaching someone a skill, says Noor. For Extra Good Things, it's knowing how to pair different flavors and "extras" that you like to experiment with. Readers should discover things they really enjoy, like the salsa verde, and find ways to use them again and again in different meals.

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Yields:: 1 - 8 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 35 mins
Total Time:: 55 mins

Ingredients

For the Potato Slab Pie:

23 oz.
pre-rolled all-butter puff pastry rectangles (2 sheets)
7 oz.
gruyère, roughly grated
7 oz.
greek feta, roughly crumbled
1/2 c.
pitted green olives, roughly chopped
10
green onions, trimmed and finely sliced (11/2 cups)
1 1/2 c.
parsley, finely chopped
3/4
mint leaves, finely chopped
4
large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and very thinly sliced on a mandolin or by hand (1 lb 3 oz)
4
large eggs, plus 1 large yolk
3/4 c.
plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
6 tbsp.
crème fraîche
1 1/2 tbsp.
sesame seeds
salt and black pepper

For the Salsa Verde:

1/2 c.
mint leaves
3/4 c.
basil leaves
1/2 c.
parsley leaves
1/3 c.
pitted green olives, roughly torn in half
2
garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 oz.
anchovies packed in olive oil, drained
2 tbsp.
apple cider vinegar
1/4 c.
olive oil, plus extra for greasing

Nutrition Information

Per Serving (Serves 8)

Calories616 Fat40 gSaturated fat18 gTrans fat0 gCholesterol180 mgSodium982 mgCarbohydrates38 gFiber8 gSugar5 gProtein22 gVitamin D1 mcgCalcium555 mgIron6 mgPotassium1239 mg

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Directions

1. Step 1Preheat the oven to 400° and place a large baking sheet inside to heat up.
2. Step 2Grease a 12 1/2-by-8 1/2-by-1-inch Swiss roll pan. Line with a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom and rise about 1 1/2 inches/4cm up and over the sides (this will help you lift out the pie later)
3. Step 3Take one of the puff pastry sheets and roll it out to form a 15-by-11-inch rectangle. Transfer it to the prepared pan, making sure to push it inside the corners and up the sides. Place it in the refrigerator.
4. Step 4In a large mixing bowl, combine both the cheeses, the olives, green onions, herbs, potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and a generous grind of pepper. Try to separate the potato slices as much as possible so they're all evenly distributed.
5. Step 5Transfer the potato mixture to the pastry-lined pan, filling the corners and pressing down on the mixture so that it is tightly packed. It will seem like too much but it will cook down in the oven.
6. Step 6In a medium bowl, whisk three of the eggs, the extra yolk, heavy cream, and crème fraîche. Pour this evenly over the filling.
7. Step 7Unroll the second piece of puff pastry and lay it on top of the potatoes, tucking it between the potatoes and the pastry sides. Lightly whisk the remaining egg and brush this over the pastry. Then, with a slight lifting and pulling motion, fold the pastry sides over the edges of the top layer and press down gently to seal. Brush the edges with egg wash and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Using a sharp knife, make seven diagonal scores along the length of the top of the pie, each around 2 inches/5cm.
8. Step 8Carefully, place the pie pan on top of the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. If the top of the pie gets too dark too early, turn the heat down to 375°. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan and on a wire rack for about 1 hour.
9. Step 9Use the paper overhang to lift and slide the pie out of the pan. Set the pan aside and place the pie back on to the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 20 squares.
10. Step 10While the pie is cooling, make the salsa verde. Put all the herbs, the olives, garlic, anchovies, vinegar, half the oil, and plenty of pepper into a food processor and pulse a few times, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until you have a coarse paste. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, then transfer to a bowl to eat alongside the pie.

For the Salsa Verde:

– Keep refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
– Spoon onto grilled steak, or mix with defrosted peas or jarred butter beans and a drizzle of tahini

For the Potato Slab Pie:

–Evenly slice the potatoes thin, because thicker parts will take longer to cook.
–It's hard to overcook but it's really easy to undercook. The outside may look nice and brown on top, but you want to check the color on the bottom and make sure it's not soggy.