Potato gateau with eggs, cheese, and ham is a potato casserole originating from Campania, but well-known and loved throughout Italy.
It was first served in 1768, during the wedding of Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria and Ferdinand IV of Bourbon.
The archduchess summoned the monsieur, in dialect monzú, to prepare the wedding banquet, and thus this potato pie was born using local ingredients, except for butter, which was preferred by the monsieur over the locally consumed oil.
The name gateau in France indicates a cake that can be sweet or savory, while we Italians use it solely to refer to this savory preparation.
Commonly, when making it, the ingredients are mixed all together, but in my home, we have always preferred to season the mashed potatoes first, making them even tastier and more delicious, and then add the filling in a central layer.
The result is a savory, very soft potato pie with a stringy filling topped with a golden, crispy surface.
A filling dish, suitable for all seasons, and that can easily be a unique dish for the whole family!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 270.76 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 29.43 (g) of which sugars 2.18 (g)
- Proteins 13.63 (g)
- Fat 11.23 (g) of which saturated 6.54 (g)of which unsaturated 4.43 (g)
- Fibers 3.20 (g)
- Sodium 381.38 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 166 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.4 lbs potatoes (yellow flesh)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsp butter (plus a piece to sprinkle on the surface)
- 0.4 cup milk
- 2.1 oz provola cheese (sweet)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 2.8 oz cooked ham (thinly sliced or sweet pancetta)
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Baking Pan 9.8 x 7.9 inches
- Potato Masher
- Egg Slicer
- Large Saucepan
- 1 Small Pot
Steps
Per prepare the potato gateau with eggs, cheese, and ham, start by boiling the potatoes with the skin in plenty of salted water.
Cook until a fork easily pierces through the center of the potato, which will take about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil 2 eggs for about 8 minutes and then immerse them in cold water.
As soon as the heat is turned off, immediately remove the potatoes from the water and pass them through the potato masher while still hot.
There’s no need to peel them, just cut them in half and place them in the potato masher with the cut side down, then press and remove the skin, which will remain attached to the potato masher.
Add milk, butter, and grated Parmesan cheese (leaving 4 tablespoons for later) to the mashed potatoes, stir, and set aside momentarily.
Peel the eggs, cut the cheese into cubes, and prepare the ham by shredding it with your hands.
If you prefer to use diced pancetta, it may be helpful to cut it into smaller pieces, especially if the gateau is intended for children too.
On the now slightly cooled potatoes, crack a raw egg and work it in. Sprinkle a baking tray with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
Spoon dollops of potato purée onto the tray, press them down, and form a layer with slightly raised edges.
Distribute the ham, the hard-boiled eggs sliced with an egg slicer, the cheese pieces, and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan over the potatoes. If desired, add freshly ground black pepper.
Create another layer of potatoes, pressing gently with a wet fork.
Distribute the remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan, fine salt, black pepper, and butter flakes on top. Preheat the oven to 356°F, static function, middle-lower level, for about 40 minutes.
A few minutes before removing the gateau from the oven, raise the baking tray level and turn on the grill until an inviting golden crust forms on top.
The potato gateau with eggs, cheese, and ham is now ready.
Excellent to enjoy both hot and at room temperature.
In the fridge, it can be kept tightly closed in a container for a couple of days.
If all fresh ingredients have been used, the gateau can be frozen either cooked or raw for up to 3 months.
If cooked, it may be convenient to freeze directly in single portions.
If frozen raw (in a freezing-safe tray), let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then bake as usual.
If frozen raw (in a freezing-safe tray), let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then bake as usual.
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