Bacon, potatoes, sour cream and chives lovingly wrapped in a blanket of buttery puff pastry… Sound like pie heaven? It is and it's so easy to make!
Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius with a baking tray in it.
Boil the potato slices until they are almost cooked – it takes mere minutes so keep and eye on them. Drain potatoes, pat dry with kitchen towel and allow to cool to room temperature. Fry the onion, bacon and celery in the olive oil over low heat until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Cool mixture to room temperature then combine the onion and bacon mix with the potato slices.
Whisk together the sour cream, one egg and 20ml Cape Herb & Spice Smokehouse BBQ Rub and pour it over the potatoes. Toss to ensure everything is well coated. Open one of the rolls of puff pastry on baking paper. Spread potatoes out on the sheet of puff pastry, leaving a clear border of 4cm. Scatter over the chives and spoon any remaining sour cream mixture over the potatoes. Brush the clear border with water and place the second sheet of puff pastry over the potatoes. Press down firmly to seal the top layer of pastry onto the bottom layer of pastry. Use a sharp knife to trim the pastry neatly. Work your way around the pastry with a fork, pressing down firmly on the edge with a fork – it crimps the pastry and makes a pretty frilly edge.
Make a small cut in the middle of the pastry to create a vent through which steam can escape. Place the pie in the fridge for 15 minutes. Next whisk together an egg with 15ml milk and 5ml Cape Herb & Spice Smokehouse BBQ Rub. Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash all over the pie.
Lift the pie (still on the baking paper) onto the hot baking tray and place it in the oven immediately. (Cook’s note: The hot tray helps to prevent a soggy pastry bottom – nobody wants that!) Bake for 35-45 minutes until the pastry is golden. Serve right away with a green salad.
Pre-heat your oven to 392 degrees Fahrenheit with a baking tray in it.
Boil the potato slices until they are almost cooked – it takes mere minutes, so keep an eye on them. Drain potatoes, pat dry with a kitchen towel, and allow to cool to room temperature. Fry the onion, bacon, and celery in the olive oil over low heat until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then combine the onion and bacon mix with the potato slices.
Whisk together the sour cream, one egg, and 4 teaspoons Cape Herb & Spice Smokehouse BBQ Rub and pour it over the potatoes. Toss to ensure everything is well coated. Open one of the rolls of puff pastry on baking paper. Spread potatoes out on the sheet of puff pastry, leaving a clear border of 1 1/2 inches. Scatter over the chives and spoon any remaining sour cream mixture over the potatoes. Brush the clear border with water and place the second sheet of puff pastry over the potatoes. Press down firmly to seal the top layer of pastry onto the bottom layer of pastry. Use a sharp knife to trim the pastry neatly. Work your way around the pastry with a fork, pressing down firmly on the edge with a fork – it crimps the pastry and makes a pretty frilly edge.
Make a small cut in the middle of the pastry to create a vent through which steam can escape. Place the pie in the fridge for 15 minutes. Next, whisk together an egg with 1 tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon Cape Herb & Spice Smokehouse BBQ Rub. Use a pastry brush to paint the egg wash all over the pie.
Recipe by Lizet Hartley Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za