Vegan Potato Pithivier
on Nov 12, 2023, Updated Nov 22, 2023
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A vegan friendly version of Paul Hollywood’s Dauphinoise Potato + Caramelized Onion Pithivier! Creamy potatoes and caramelized onions baked inside flakey, golden pastry….and as if that wasn’t delicious enough, it’s served with a Feta + Chive Cream Sauce on the side!
Table of Contents
Vegan Potato Pithivier
The other night, Nicholas and I were watching the new season of The Great British Bake Off on Netflix, and during the technical challenge, the contestants were challenged to make Paul Hollywood’s Potato Pithiver.
This particular challenge is always entertaining because each baker is given a redacted recipe with almost NO INSTRUCTIONS!
As you can imagine, this is usually a very tense segment of the show, but it also tends to be entertaining and educational because the recipes selected for these challenges are often lesser known dishes with an intriguing history. And thus was the case with this Pithivier.
After watching the show, I found Paul Hollywood’s recipe online (linked here) and learned that the Potato Pithivier originated in 17th century France, and was named after the French town it was created in. The dish consists of thinly sliced onions and potatoes, pre-cooked in a light garlic-cream sauce, and baked inside flakey pastry.
Paul Hollywood’s recipe calls for traditional ingredients: butter, heavy cream, and Rutherford cheese, so I made a few changes to make it vegan. Some of the swaps were easy, like vegan butter for dairy butter. Others were perhaps less obvious but very effective, like miso paste. I used almond milk enriched with vegan butter to replace the heavy cream, and added a touch of nutritional yeast for umami.
The biggest difference between my recipe and Paul Hollywood’s, is that his features a laminated rough puff pastry, which is probably delicious but it involves a lot more butter and an additional resting period. I opted for my tried and true pie dough recipe instead and it was still very tasty.
I often use this Pie Dough Recipe to make vegan quiche, because it’s buttery, flakey, and reliably delicious. I even use it for sweet pie recipes, like my Vegan Blueberry Pie and this Classic Apple Pie recipe too. It’s a forgiving dough recipe that’s full of flavor, so I knew it would work well for this Pithivier.
I personally think this Potato Pithivier would make an excellent holiday side dish and would really wow as a savory option at a festive Christmas Brunch! It’s a potato lovers dream. Rich and creamy, buttery and cheesy, with just the right amount of salt.
You can watch me make it step by step in this video (linked here) In the video, I filmed myself making it for the first time, but rest assured, I have tested the recipe since and it is just wonderful. Can’t wait for you to try it!
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this a vegan Potato Pithivier:
Potatoes – Yellow potatoes are creamy and flavorful, and work best for the filling.
Onion – Yellow onions are mellow in flavor and add a hint of sweetness when caramelized.
Flour – You’ll need all purpose flour to make this flakey pie crust.
Salt and Sugar – both salt and sugar add flavor to the crust, and the sugar also helps it brown in the oven.
Vegan Butter – I recommend using Earth Balance Sticks, instead of using the kind in the tub, for best results.
Ice Water – Cold water helps bring the dough together and keeps the butter inside nice and cold.
Almond Milk – Plain unsweetened almond works well for this recipe. I like using Three Trees Almond Milk because it’s richer and creamier than other varieties.
Nutmeg – Optional, but recommended because a hint of nutmeg helps to create complex flavor in cream sauces. A sprinkle of dried sage would be delicious in this recipe as a substitute if desired.
Nutritional Yeast – Adds depth and umami to the almond milk, and makes it taste creamier.
Miso Paste – Light miso paste is a key ingredient in the Feta and Chive Cream Sauce. It adds extra depth and savoriness, and helps makes the sauce taste cheese.
Vegan Feta – I used VioLife Feta for this recipe. It’s mild and tangy and melts nicely.
Fresh Chives and Black Pepper – The finishing touch in the sauce and as a taste garnish on the Pithivier!
Vegan Potato Pithivier
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt, I use Morton's Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp cane sugar
- 2 sticks cold vegan butter, sticks not tub
- 6-7 tbsp ice cold water
- 1 tbsp almond milk , brushed on top before baking
Potato Filling
- 2 lbs yellow potatoes
- 5 cups Three Trees Almond Milk or full fat oat milk, see notes*
- 3 tbsp vegan butter, divided
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 medium yellow onion
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Feta + Chive Sauce
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp light miso paste
- 4 oz vegan feta
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
Make the Pie Dough
- Start by cutting the vegan butter sticks into small cubes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Next, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk to combine and then add the cold butter cubes.
- Rub the flour and butter together between your hands, and stop mixing when a shaggy dough appears with a few chunky pieces of butter remaining in pea and almond sized shapes.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the cold water. Start with 6 tbsp and add another if needed. Mix for just long enough to bring the dough together into a crumbly mixture (it doesn't need to stick together yet) and then turn it out on to a lightly floured countertop.
- Gently knead the dough just long enough to bring it together and then stop. You don't want to over-work the dough at this point or the crust won't be tender and flakey. Shape the pie dough into a ball, working quickly so that the butter doesn't get too soft.
- Cut the ball into 2 pieces. Form each piece into disks and then wrap tightly with cling wrap. Refrigerate both disks of dough for at least 1-2 hours.
Make the Filling
- Thinly slice the potatoes and onion and set them aside. I use a mandolin like this one for slicing the potatoes into thin medallions. Then crush the garlic and add it to a saucepan along with the almond milk*, 2 tbsp of vegan butter, and 1 tsp of kosher salt.
- Add in the potatoes and set the pan to medium high heat. Bring to a soft boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-12 minutes. You'll want the potatoes to be tender but not too soft. Once tender, place a colander on top of another saucepan and drain the liquid from the potatoes. Reserve the cooking liquid to use for the sauce later on, and then spread the potatoes out on a cookie sheet to cool completely. They'll need to be cold before assembling the Pithivier for best results 👩🏻🍳
- While the potatoes are cooking, add the onions and the remaining 1 tbsp of vegan butter to a frying pan and sauté on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly caramelized. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and then set aside to cool completely.
Roll Out the Pie Dough
- Unwrap one of the pie dough disks and allow it to come to just under room temperature so it's easy to roll out without cracking. Tip: What's "just under room temperature" you ask? Basically it should be cold to the touch but not hard 👩🏻🍳
- Ok here's the part where I'm going to describe how to roll out the pastry dough, but let me tell you, it sounds harder than it is. Rolling out pie dough is the pretty much just the adult version of playing with Play-Doh, and at the end of the day, all you're doing is taking a ball of dough and rolling it flat, so keep that in mind while you're reading some of these very detailed instructions 🙃
- Lightly flour the the countertop and your rolling pin, and then break the first disk of pie dough into 4 pieces. Stack the pieces on top of each other, then gently press down to create a new disk. This stacking method helps create flakey layers! Then place the rolling pin in the middle of the disk and roll forward, backward, to the side and then to the other side. Then rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Tip: Flip the dough over every fourth rotation to prevent sticking, and sprinkle with a light dusting of flour as needed throughout the process.
- Roll the dough to 3-5mm and then use a 12 inch round bowl or pan as a guide and cut out a 12 inch circle. This will be the bottom crust of the Pithivier, so transfer the disk to a cookie sheet and chill in the fridge while you roll out the remaining dough for the top piece.Repeat the same process but cut it into a 14 inch disk, and then chill it for 15 minutes.
Assemble + Decorate
- Arrange the chilled potatoes on top of the 12 inch pastry disk. Pile the potatoes higher in the center so the Pithivier will have a nice dome shape. Leave a 1 inch border around the edge. Top with the chilled onions and sprinkle with nutmeg and black pepper.
- Place the 14 inch pastry disk on top and press the edges together. Then use your fingers to create a scalloped design around the edges. Next, use the tip of sharp knife to score curved lines, starting from the center of the dome and tracing down to the crust. Be careful not to cut all the way through.Finish by cutting a small hole in the center for ventilation and then chill one more time for 10 minutes.
Bake
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then brush 1 tbsp of almond milk all over the unbaked Pithivier and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until well browned.
Make the Feta + Chive Sauce
- Place the saucepan with the reserved almond milk on the stove and add the nutritional yeast, miso paste, salt, and feta cheese. Bring to a soft boil, whisking often, and then lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Whisk often to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan. After 15 minutes, allow the sauce to cool slightly. At this point it should be thickened and creamy, but it won't be too thick. 👩🏻🍳 See the notes below if you would like the sauce to be thicker.Finish the sauce by adding the chives and black pepper. Mix well and add additional salt to taste if desired.
- Remove the Potato Pithiver from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Then serve with lots of the Feta + Chive Sauce on top and sprinkle with extra chives and black pepper. Enjoy!
Made this today and it was amazing! Looked beautiful and tasted delicious. I cheated a bit with store bought puff pastry, and I thickened the sauce with a little cornstarch. Otherwise I followed the recipe and it worked beautifully. Really a spectacular dish for a holiday or special occasion.
YAY!! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe and I love that you used store-bought puff pastry. That’s a great idea and a huge time saver. Thanks for making this recipe and letting me know that you loved it! Made my day 😊😊
Can this be made ahead and warm up? I am thinking of bringing this to my mothers for Christmas Eve. Please let me know, thanks so much.
Yep! Just assemble everything while the filling is cold. Then cover the assembled Pithivier tightly with plastic wrap and keep it very cold right until you’re ready to bake. Hope you and your family enjoys! Merry Chirstmas!