Also known as Pitta, Salentina potato focaccia is a baked pie composed of two layers of dough made from potatoes, cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs with a filling of onion sautéed in olive oil, tomato sauce, olives, capers, and additional ingredients as desired.
Salentina potato focaccia is a traditional dish with many variations for the filling. You can add boiled eggs, tuna or anchovies in oil, ham and cheese, vegetables as desired, each family boasts its own homemade recipe.
It’s very easy to make and especially tasty and appetizing, plus my recipe is rich enough in content that it will be a pleasure to bring to the table. It can be served hot or cold, as an appetizer or main course, or a single dish for a picnic. And if you want to continue the culinary journey in Puglia, I recommend trying the orecchiette.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 10 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 3.3 lbs potatoes
- 3.5 oz pecorino (grated)
- 1.75 oz grated parmesan (or grana padano)
- 1.4 oz breadcrumbs (plus a handful to cover the focaccia)
- 2 eggs
- A few sprigs chopped parsley (fresh)
- 1.1 lbs tomatoes (fresh, also cherry or plum)
- 1.75 oz olive oil
- 2 white onions
- 4 friggitelli peppers (optional)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1.4 oz olives (pitted, black or green)
- 6 anchovies in oil (optional)
- 1 oz capers
- to taste black pepper (ground)
Steps
While the potatoes cook in water, whole and with the skin on, prepare the fried tomato.
Put olive oil and finely sliced onions in a saucepan and let them soften for a few minutes.
Add the cleaned-from-seeds friggitelli peppers (optional) to the onion sauté, and let them brown for 10 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and fry everything for about 30 minutes over medium heat without a lid, allowing the tomato water to evaporate during cooking.
When the potatoes are cooked, drain them, peel them, and coarsely mash them with a potato masher, placing them in a large bowl.
In the meantime, cook the 3 eggs until hard-boiled.
To the mashed potatoes, add 2 whole beaten eggs, grated pecorino and parmesan, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and ground black pepper.
Mix the ingredients well to combine, taste, and adjust the seasoning with a few pinches of salt if necessary.
Grease a 28 cm diameter round pan, or a rectangular one, and put half of the potato mixture to form the first layer. Spread it well to the edge and level it.
Fill the focaccia with sliced hard-boiled eggs, then layers of capers, sliced or whole olives, and anchovy fillets.
Optionally, you can also add other ingredients such as thinly sliced cooked ham and cheese cubes.
At this point, pour the fried tomato with onions and friggitelli over the filling.
Spread it well to the edges and cover the focaccia with the other half of the potato mixture.
Level the surface of the potato focaccia and sprinkle a handful of breadcrumbs over it to the edges.
Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C) and bake it for about 35/40 minutes, until golden. Let it cool slightly before removing it from the pan and slicing it.
