Posna Krompiruša
Посна кромпируша·(poh-snah krom-pee-roo-shah)
Pita i Burek: Phyllo Mastery
In the Balkan diaspora, reproducing the shattering crunch and tender chew of a grandmother’s hand-stretched pita using American grocery store phyllo is the ultimate kitchen white whale. This meatless, fasting-compliant potato pie bridges the gap. By deploying a heavily peppered, finely diced potato filling and manipulating the store-bought dough with a carbonated water wash and a violent post-bake steam drench, the cook forces modern convenience to yield deeply ancestral, unfussy flavor.
Ingredients
- Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes1 1/2 lb
- yellow onion1 large
- neutral oil3 tbsp
- Vegeta1 tbsp
- Kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1 1/2 tsp
- commercial phyllo dough16 oz
- carbonated mineral water1/2 cup
- neutral oil1/3 cup
- water1/2 cup
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- Kosher salt1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Cook the onions and potatoes to build the flavor base.
Heat 3 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes—diced as finely as humanly possible—and cook for 3 to 4 minutes just to coat them in the infused oil and knock off the raw edge. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon salt, the Vegeta, and the black pepper. The mixture should smell intensely peppery.
- 02
Whisk the magic preliv wash.
In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the carbonated mineral water and 1/3 cup of neutral oil. The mixture will naturally want to separate, so keep a pastry brush in the cup and give it a quick stir before every single application. This carbonated hydration is the absolute secret to mimicking hand-stretched dough.
- 03
Assemble the phyllo rolls.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay one sheet of phyllo flat on a dry surface and lightly speckle it with the wash using your brush. Place a second sheet directly on top and wash it again. Spoon a thin line of the potato filling along the long edge, leaving a one-inch border. Roll it tightly into a long cylinder. Coil this log into an oiled round baking pan, or lay it straight in a 9x13 dish. Repeat until all filling and dough are used, packing the rolls snugly.
- 04
Bake until shattering and golden.
Brush any remaining mineral water wash generously over the top of the assembled pie. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is a deep, resonant golden brown and a paring knife easily pierces the potatoes inside.
- 05
Boil the zaljev and steam the hot pie.
Five minutes before the pie is done baking, bring 1/2 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a rolling boil in a small saucepan. Pull the golden pie from the oven and immediately pour the boiling liquid evenly over the hot crust. It will hiss and crackle violently. Instantly cover the pan tight with a clean kitchen towel or foil and let it rest undisturbed for 15 minutes to force steam back into the pastry.
Notes
Don't skimp on the black pepper or the Vegeta.
In the absence of meat or dairy, the sharp heat of the black pepper and the dehydrated root vegetable umami from the Vegeta provide the entire depth of the dish.
Serve it simply.
Because this is a strict fasting (posna) dish, traditionalists serve it alongside a simple tomato and cucumber salad dressed in oil and vinegar. If you aren't fasting, a dollop of sour cream or pourable plain yogurt is canonical.
From Cook Balkan in America.