Pork and Potato Pie (Belarusian Babka)

One of the most recognizable Belarusian dishes (in particular, thanks to a strange name) is a potato babka (which means ‘old lady’). The dish that has been on both the peasants‘ and the princes’ table. In short, loved by all and remarkably similar in taste to the Québecois tourtière. But what is special about a simple potato casserole called “babka”? The secret is simple: a cast-iron frying pan, natural products and languishes on the fire do their thing! Delicate potatoes with a light crust, combined with meat and sour cream, will be enjoyed even by those who consider such dishes “heavy.”

1 onion
3 lbs medium or high-starch potatoes (Yukon Gold, Maris Piper, Russet)
½ Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
8 oz ground pork
½ tsp. dried summer savoury or thyme
½ tsp. sea salt
4 oz mushrooms
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. sour cream
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. sour cream

Grease your 10″ cast iron or ceramic pan and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Grate one of your onions with the large holes of a box grater and place it in a large bowl. Shred the potatoes with the same side, tossing the sheds in the bowl with the onion as you go, which will protect them from oxidation (turning brown).

Squeeze (clenched fists are most efficent) the potato-onion mixture over a sieve, letting the juice run into another bowl. Get the shreds nice and dry, and set it all aside.

Sauté the onion in the oil over medium heat, and once it starts to soften add the ground pork and brown it. Add the summer savoury and the salt.

Slice the mushrooms and add them to the meat. Sautee until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Deglaze the pan with one tablespoon of milk. Repeat.

Mix in the sour cream and continue to heat the meat mixture to dry it a little. Taste for salt and pepper.

Decant the reserved potato liquid off of the settled potato starch and discard the liquid. Mix the starch and ½ tsp salt into the dried potato-onion shreds.

Press 1/3 of the potato mixture into the bottom of the greased pan. Place the meat mixture on top of this base, leaving the outer 1″ bare all around. Press half of the remaining potato mixture around the sides of the meat filling, and them top the tart with all of the remaining potato.

Spread the last 2 Tbsp. of sour cream over the top of the tart. Bake for one hour. Let cool ten minutes before cutting to serve.