Chez Louis Potato Pie Recipes

CHEZ LOUIS POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes. There should be about four and one-half pounds when peeled. Drop the potatoes into cold water until ready to cook.
• Bring enough water to the boil to cover the potatoes when they are added. Add salt to taste. Add the potatoes and cook 25 minutes, or until they are slightly undercooked. They will cook later in the oven.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Drain the potatoes and put them in a large heavy skillet. Sprinkle generously with pepper and add 16 tablespoons of butter. Using a large heavy spoon, cut the potatoes haphazardly into chunks, each about two inches thick. Let them cook 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pieces over and over so that they brown evenly.
• Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet (preferably a 12-inch, No. 10, black-iron skillet) until it is hot and almost smoking.
• Melt the remaining eight tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and pour it into the skillet. Immediately, add the potato mixture and flatten it on top with a large, heavy metal spoon. Let cook over moderately high heat for three minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour off the free butter from around the sides, taking care not to let the potatoes fall from the skillet. This butter may be recycled and put to other uses, such as scrambling eggs, etc.
• Cover the skillet with a heat-proof round dish, such as a pizza pan. Invert the skillet onto the pan, allowing the potatoes to fall evenly on the pan.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake 15 minutes longer. Pour off any free-flowing butter from the pan.
• Carefully slide the pie from the pizza or other pan onto a round serving dish. Sprinkle the garlic into a circle in the center of the pie; garnish around the circle of garlic with an outer circle of chopped parsley.

SWEET POTATO PIE

Steps:

• In a one-gallon saucepot heat one quart of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.
• To make the dough, mix the flour, salt, and sugar together and cut in the margarine by hand to create a coarse cornmeal texture. Then add the water until it is tacky. Roll the dough into a ball. Cut dough into ten equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough out on a floured surface to a diameter of 6-inches and about 1/8-inch thick. Set aside until you are ready to fill the dough.
• To make the filling, first peel the sweet potatoes. Then large dice the potatoes and put in a medium size saucepot. Add water to cover potatoes and bring to boil. Potatoes are done when fork tender.
• When sweet potatoes are finished boiling, drain well. In a food processor, while still hot, add the potatoes, margarine, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and sugar. Mix on medium speed until smooth.
• To assemble pies, put 1/4 cup of the filling in the center of a dough circle. Fold over in half and seal with water. Crimp edges with a fork to completely close. Place pies in oil once the temperature has reached 350 degrees F. (If temperature is below 350 degrees F the oil will absorb the margarine in the pie dough and cause it to be excessively greasy.) Pie should be cooked in 7 to 8 minutes and will have a golden brown color.

CHEZ LOUIS POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes. There should be about 4 1/2 pounds when peeled. Drop the potatoes into cold water until ready to cook. Bring enough water to boil to cover the potatoes when they are added. Add salt to taste. Add potatoes and cook 25 minutes, or until they are slightly undercooked. They will cook later in the oven.
• Meanwhile preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain the potatoes and put them in a large heavy skillet. Sprinkle generously with pepper and add 16 tablespoons of butter. Using a large heavy spoon, cut the potatoes haphazardly into chunks, each about 2 inches thick. Let them cook 12 to 15 minutes, turning the pieces over so that they brown evenly. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet (preferably a 12-inch, number 10 black iron skillet) until it is hot and almost smoking. Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and pour it into the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic and the potato mixture, mix together and then flatten it on top with a large heavy metal spoon. Let cook moderately high heat for three minutes. Place the skillet in the oven and bake 15 minutes.
• Remove form the oven and pour off the free butter from around the sides, taking care not to let the potatoes fall form the skillet (this butter may be recycled and put to other uses, such as scrambling eggs). Cover the skillet with a heat proof round dish, such as a pizza pan. Invert the skillet onto the pan, allowing the potatoes to fall evenly on the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake 15 minutes longer. Pour off any free-flowing butter from the pan. Carefully slide the pie from the pizza pan or other pan onto a round serving dish. Sprinkle the garlic into a circle in the center of the pie, garnish around the circle of garlic with an outer circle of chopped parsley. Serve with the perfect roasted chicken, T-bone or roasted lobster