There are some instances where the mixing of two starches, which on the face of it seems like a bad culinary move, actually works brilliantly. One is potato-filled raviolis, which sound unlikely but are quite delicious, particularly
with a rich tomato sauce. Another is potato pie, such as the classic Cornish pastie - which also features meat in the filling - but which I like best in the style the French make, which is simpler, not so fiddy, and utterly delicious.
Here is an interesting one, sourced from Peter Graham's book, Mourjou - The Life and Food of an Auvergne (Viking, £17.99 in the UK). Graham has lived in the village for years, and his book is an affectionate tribute to the ruddy cooking of the Auvergne, of which this is a fairly typical example. This is easy to make, thanks to using chilled puff pastry, and it is classic winter fare, just the sort of thing that only needs one of our winter salads to create a lovely supper. Use good thick double cream for this.
Tourte de pommes de terre "Best served hot, but also makes a nice cold picnic dish (the potatoes absorb all the cream as they cool)."
400g (14oz) waxy potatoes
250g (9oz) double cream
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
large pinch salt
freshly ground pepper 400g (14oz) chilled puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten
Wash, peel and steam the potatoes (if they are new potatoes of a thin-skinned variety, they need not be peeled). Cut them into not-too-thin slices and put them into a mixing bowl with the cream, garlic, parsley, salt and plenty of black pepper. Mix well, but without breaking up the potatoes too much.
Divide the pastry into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other, 6mm (quarter-inch) thick, and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Put the filling neatly and compactly on the centre of the pastry, leaving a 4cm (one-and-a-half inch) margin. Roll out the other piece of dough to the same thickness and place it over the filling; it should be large enough to cover it completely. Fold the edge of the bottom round of pastry back over the edge of the top round, fold again so the border rests against the enclosed filling and seal well by crimping with the thumb and fingers. Brush the surface with egg yolk, and cut one or two slits in it with a sharp knife. Bake in a fairly hot oven (200C/ 400F/ gas mark 6) for 45-60 minutes or until the pastry begins to turn golden brown.