Potato Sage and Onion Cake

Anna from Anna's Cool Finds is hosting this edition of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I've returned with one of my favourite herbs, Sage.



It's not looking at its best at this time of year but I will happily forgo the visual just has long as that beautiful aroma remains.

Some of the many ingredients I like to use with sage are potatoes and onions and the dish I've made combines them all. Inspired by a pie by Alastair Hendy, I've scaled it down to be a lot thinner so that it can be presented more like a slice.



Potato, Sage and Onion Cake

3 medium Nicola Potatoes (use a waxy potato), sliced finely
1 red onion, sliced finely
grated swiss cheese
fresh sage leavessea salt and freshly ground white pepper
butter, melted

Prepare the onion:
Drizzle a little oil and a knob of butter into a skillet and place over a medium heat. When the butter has melted add the onions and cook slowly until softened but not coloured.

Prepare the potatoes:
Peel the potatoes and then slice them as finely as you can. Butter and line the base of a 20cm cake pan - it is best to use a pan with a removable base or a springform tin.

Arrange slices of potato, overlapping slightly, around the edge of the tin so that they just reach the top of the tin and fold over into the base. Cover the base with a layer of potatoes.



Season with a little salt and pepper, scatter over with some cooked onions and grated cheese and then dot some sage leaves on top. Cover this with another layer of potato slices. Press down to ensure an even layer then repeat the process. Keep in mind that you won't have to salt every layer as there is a certain amount of salt in cheese, so adjust as necessary.

Stop when the filling has almost reached the top of the potato edge - fold the edge over the filling, dab the exposed potato with a little butter and then finish with potato slices. Brush the top with a little more butter.

Cover the pan loosely with foil and place on a baking tray.

Bake in pre-heated 160°C oven until cooked through - about 40 to 60 minutes depending on thickness. Remove the foil, raise the heat to 180°C and continue cooking until browned.

Let it sit in the pan for about 5 minutes before unmoulding.



This is an excellent companion to grilled meats.