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Plain in pigna
Plain in pigna: Engadine baked potato cake with mountain cheese and onion
Plain in pigna, Romansh for 'full in the oven', is the old dish of the Engadine valley around St Moritz: raw grated potato mixed with milk and butter, baked slowly in a buttered dish in the tiled oven (pigna) until it forms a thick, crisp-edged cake. It is usually studded with bacon or salsiz sausage; this vegetarian version adds mountain cheese and onion, and is served with apple sauce or salad. A common mistake is leaving the grated potato to stand, which turns it grey and watery. Chef's tip: grate the potatoes straight into the milk and bake at once. Mountain cheese is usually made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian one.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 ¼ lb potatoespeeled
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted, plus extra for the dish
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 5 ½ oz mountain cheesegrated; vegetarian
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp fine cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F) and butter a 20 × 30 cm dish.
Step 3: Mix in 1 ¾ oz butter, 1 onion, 5 ½ oz mountain cheese, 2 eggs, 3 tbsp fine cornmeal, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 pinch ground nutmeg.
Step 4: Spread in the dish and bake for 55–60 minutes, until deep golden and crisp at the edges and soft inside.
60 minStep 5: Rest 5 minutes and cut into squares.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does plain in pigna take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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