Potato & Courgette Flower Tart

Hearty yet refined, this savoury pie features a delicious filling of potato, mozzarella, anchovy and courgette flowers with no egg wash, just a touch of Extra virgin Olive Oil.

Serves 4, Preparation time 20 mins, Cooking time approx 20-25 mins

1 roll of ready-made puff pastry
4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and finely sliced 2-3 mm thick
2 balls of fresh Italian mozzarella, drained and sliced
a bunch of Courgette (zucchini) flowers
3-4 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and chopped
a generous spoonful of dried or fresh thyme
a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
a pinch of salt
a pinch of black ground pepper
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tablespoons

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4.

If you like, you can blanch the potato slices 4–5 minutes in boiling water to give them a softer texture before baking.

In a bowl, toss the raw (or blanched) potato slices with a drizzle of EVOO, salt, black pepper, thyme. Gently trim the courgette flowers, removing the central pistil. Open them carefully.

Unroll the puff pastry onto a baking tray lined with parchment.
Prick the base with a fork to prevent puffing.
Leave a 2 cm margin around the edges for the crust.

Place on the bottom layer of mozzarella slices, add the chopped anchovies, cover with a layer of seasoned potato slices.

Sprinkle over grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of EVOO. Brush the edges with a bit of olive oil.
Bake in the preheated static oven 20–25 minutes or until the crust is golden and crisp.

Remove from the oven and arrange the courgette flowers on top (the residual heat will soften them gently).

Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.