Potatoes are the biggest vegetable crop grown in Tasmania, supplying 1/3rd of all Australia’s potatoes! The rich soil of Jetsonville, Scottsdale is where a large percentage of Tassie’s potatoes are grown. Their bintje potatoes are baby pink and similar to new potatoes from Oamaru which are perfect to have here. Add different flavour by changing the cheese to a goat cheese a creamy blue or sharp cheddar.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1¼ cups flour
• a pinch salt
• 100 grams butter, chilled and diced
• about 2-3 tblsp milk

Filling

• 10 (or 350 grams) pink-skinned new potatoes (see Cook’s Tip)
• 10 (or 250 grams) baby onions or shallots, peeled
• 4 tblsp butter
• 2 tblsp oil
• 2 tblsp white or brown sugar
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• ¼ cup cream
• 1 tblsp chopped fresh thyme (try lemon thyme here)
• 125 grams brie cheese, chopped
• 2 tblsp chopped walnuts to garnish
• 1 egg yolk

Method

Pastry

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Stir in sufficient milk to make a firm dough. Turn out, knead lightly and divide into 4.
3. Roll each piece out to line the base and sides of four 3cm individual shallow-sided tartlet tins.
4. Bake blind at 200°C for 10 minutes. Remove the baking blind material and cook a further 2-3 minutes until the base is cooked.

Filling

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain. When cool, slice thinly.
2. Cut the onions or shallots into quarters. Heat 2 tblsp of the butter with the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions or shallots slowly until softened and browned. Add the sugar and toss only until melted. Cool.
3. Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan and cook the potato slices and garlic until both are golden. Drain on a paper towel.
4. Beat the egg yolk, cream and thyme together with any of the syrup that has formed from the onions. Arrange the potatoes and onions into the tartlets. Top with the brie cheese and then pour an equal amount of cream mixture into each. Scatter the walnuts on top. Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.