The Potato Gateau, also called the “Gattò”, is a recipe made from baked potatoes. It’s called Gateau because it is a pie that is prepared by crushing boiled potatoes and mixing them with eggs, Neapolitan salami and mozzarella.
This Neapolitan recipe was born in the late Eighteenth century in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The wife of Ferdinand I of Bourbon, Maria Carolina of Habsburg, had a very refined palate and always had with her a team of French chef who served her all the delicacies of the Alps.
The Neapolitans, having learned the recipe, replaced the Gruyere cheese with the fior di latte. And added salami and occasionally cooked ham. The Italianization of the term “Gateau” was coined, instead, by the nuns of the Monastery of Santa Chiara of Naples. They began to use the word “Gattò”, later adopted by all of Naples, while monsieurs became “Monzù”.
Each family hands down its own version of this irresistible pie by stuffing it with various meats and cheeses. A great recipe to consume the leftovers you have in the fridge!
Boil the potatoes and mash them with a fork or with a potato masher; if the potato is too dry, add a glass of warm milk, otherwise two tablespoons of olive oil to facilitate processing anyway.
Separately beat the eggs, adding salt, pepper, Parmesan and pecorino; add the mixture to the potatoes and mix vigorously.
Take a high and round (or also rectangular) baking pan, add oil, then lay a layer of the mixture and cover with slices of salami and strips of Fiordilatte mozzarella.
Form another layer in the same way, close with the potato mixture, cover with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of oil.
Bake in a hot oven for 30 - 40 minutes at 180°. Serve warm.
You can keep the potato gateau, already prepared, and then heat it as needed. It is not recommended to prepare it too many hours in advance before cooking it because the mixture may turn black. Keep it in the fridge anyway. Freezing is not recommended.
This is a great recipe to consume the leftovers you have in the fridge, so be creative and use salami and cheese to your liking. Another very good version is with sausage, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese!
If the potatoes you used are too floury, you can mix the mixture with very little milk, according to the Neapolitan tradition.
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line pan with baking paper so as to pull up gateau out of pan and have perfect gaeutea