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Cholera
Potato, leek and apple pie
Valais cholera: a double-crust pie of potatoes, leeks, apples and cheese
Cholera is a Valais pie from the upper Rhône valley, especially the Goms district, filled with layers of potato, leek, apple, pear and mountain cheese under a pastry lid. One story ties the name to the 1830s cholera outbreak, when people stayed home and baked whatever was in the cellar; another to the old Valais word for a coal stove, chola. It is eaten warm or cold, as a Sunday lunch, picnic food or a slice with a green salad, and the sweet fruit against salty cheese and soft leek is the whole point. Some Valais cooks add bacon; this vegetarian version doesn't need it. Use cheese made with vegetarian rennet. Chef's tip: slice the potatoes, apples and pear thinly and evenly (3 mm) so everything cooks through in the time the pastry takes to brown.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 14 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 oz cold butterdiced
- ½ cup ice-cold water
- 1 eggbeaten, to glaze
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb waxy potatoespeeled
- 2 leekswhite and pale green parts, sliced
- ⅔ oz butter
- 2 tart applespeeled, cored
- 1 firm pearpeeled, cored
- 9 oz raclette or Gruyère cheesevegetarian rennet, grated
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rub 7 oz cold butter into 14 oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add ½ cup ice-cold water and bring it together into a dough without kneading. Divide into two pieces, one slightly bigger, flatten into discs, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Boil 1 ⅛ lb waxy potatoes whole for 10 minutes, until the outside is tender but the centre still firm. Cool, then slice 3 mm thick.
10 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Slice 2 tart apples and 1 firm pear 3 mm thick.
Step 5: Roll out the larger disc to line a 26 cm springform or deep tart tin, letting it come 4 cm up the sides. Roll out the second disc for the lid.
Step 6: Layer the filling: potatoes, leeks, apple and pear, 4 ½ oz raclette or Gruyère cheese, then repeat, seasoning each layer with ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ½ tsp black pepper. Finish with a layer of potato and the rest of 4 ½ oz raclette or Gruyère cheese and press down lightly.
Step 7: Lay the lid on top, fold the edges of the base over it and pinch to seal. Cut a 2 cm hole in the middle so steam can escape, and brush with 1 egg. Don't skip the steam hole: trapped steam makes the lid soggy and can burst the side.
Step 8: Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown and a knife pushed through the hole meets soft potato. Cover with foil if it browns too fast.
55 minStep 9: Rest for 15 minutes before releasing from the tin and cutting into wedges. It slices more cleanly once cool.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cholera take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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