It’s all Greek to me

by Scotty Irani
Food Columnist

March is chock-full of holidays and celebrations, so trying to come up with one idea that you can use is my goal….and I think I nailed it with my crustless potato tarte! Perfect as a side dish and thumbs up to the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day, and a shout out to my Greek friends celebrating Easter with Kalamata olives and feta cheese. See? I told ya!

Happy March my little foodies, and Happy Cooking! - Scotty

Crustless Potato Tarte with Kalamata Olive and Feta Cheese

• 5-6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, and sliced about the thickness of a quarter
• 3 large shallots sliced thin
• 3 cloves of garlic smashed and minced
• 1 cup rough chopped pitted Kalamata olives
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 3 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• A pinch of In The Kitchen With Scotty “Cornbread Dressing” Salt-Free Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• A pinch of In The Kitchen With Scotty “Cook’s Line” Seasoning
• Non-stick cooking spray

*In addition to an ovenproof skillet that you will be cooking this in, you will need a 9” round cake pan and a heavy brick or something ovenproof that can weigh your tarte down while cooking.

1. In a large bowl, soak your potato slices in cold water. Toss around in the water to release any excess potato starch. Drain, and dump out your potatoes on a kitchen towel to dry. Your slices need to be completely dry.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add your onions and lightly caramelize. Next, add the “Cornbread Dressing” seasoning, Kalamata olives, and garlic to cook through. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of melted butter with cornstarch and Cook’s Line seasoning. Add in your dried potato slices and toss by hand making sure every slice has been thoroughly coated. 
4. In a 10” oven proof skillet, brush the bottom of the pan with the last tablespoon of butter. Place one slice (a smaller one) in the center of the pan, and in a circular direction begin layering slices on top of each other. Like a coiled snake (hisssssss), until you reach the outer edges.
5. Top your coiled layered potatoes with the onion and olive mixture evenly, and add the crumbled Feta cheese. Layer the rest of your sliced potatoes on top until all gone, and sprinkle the top with fresh thyme leaves.
6. Place the skillet over medium high heat and begin cooking. Cook until you notice the bottom layer potatoes are turning transparent with a light browning on the edge. Warning: the delicious smell will make you crazy if you’re hungry.
7. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and place spray side down on top of the potato tarte. Top that with a round 9” cake pan, and a kitchen brick… or something heavy enough (and oven proof) to weigh the whole thing down. Place entire pan in the oven and cook around 25-30 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let rest about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake pan and brick, them the foil. Go around the edges and underside very carefully with a thin spatula or knife to loosen the tarte. Place a serving plate or plater on top of the pan, and carefully invert. Bottom side now up. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve either hot or cold! Serving cold this is really wonderful for picnics and outings!

The Gayly - 3/17/2016 @ 9:50 a.m. CST