This recipe is lifted straight from the Great British Bake Off. I made it about half size and had to substitute sweet bell peppers for sweet Romano peppers and kale for the spinach, but other than that did it to spec. I do think that spinach (or a kale-spinach mix) would've been nicer than straight kale. The kale ended up being a little tough.

The flavour was good, but I think it could've done with a little more seasoning. Some of that is down to me just not having a good handle on how much salt to add. But I also think that a few more herbs, some onion, and a bit more garlic wouldn't've gone amiss. I think next time I'd add roasted garlic purée to the potatoes and an onion and some savoury to the greens. I think I'd probably also add a mushroom layer.

Kale, Caramelized Garlic, Red Pepper, and Potato Pithivier

Adapted from Brendan Lynch

Ingredients

Potato Layer

• 450g new potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. roasted garlic purée

Mushroom Layer (Optional)

• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 250g cremini mushrooms, sliced
• black pepper

Pepper Layer

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 large red bell peppers, sliced
• 1 fresh red Thai chile pepper, minced
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1 Tbsp. sugar

Caramelized Garlic

• 15 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon
• 1 tsp. dried savoury (optional)
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

Kale/Spinach Layer

• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 onions, chopped
• 500g spinach (or 350g kale), chopped
• 1 egg
• 250g soft goat cheese

Everything Else

• 150g shredded Cheddar
• 900g puff pastry
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbsp. water

Directions

Potato Layer

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.
2. Drain and cut into 5mm (1/2") slices.
3. Toss with pepper and garlic purée and set aside.

Mushroom Layer

1. Heat butter over medium heat.
2. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and most of the liquid has cooked off.
3. Season with black pepper to taste.

Pepper Layer

1. Heat oil and butter over medium heat.
2. Add bell pepper and chile and season with salt. Cook until peppers have softened.
3. Add cumin and sugar and cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat and set aside.

Caramelized Garlic

1. Boil garlic for 3 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
2. Heat oil over medium heat.
3. Add drained garlic and cook for 4 minutes.
4. Add balsamic vinegar and 1 c. of the reserved cooking water. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Add herbs and sugar and cook until liquid is mostly gone and sauce resembles a runny caramel. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spinach/Kale Layer

1. Melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook until it has softened and begun to brown.
3. Add greens and a little more of the reserved garlic cooking water. Cover and cook until greens have wilted. Remove from heat.
4. Press out as much liquid as possible. (If you're using kale, there won't be much.)
5. Stir in caramelized garlic mixture.
6. Beat egg.
7. Add goat cheese to egg and mix well.
8. Stir goat cheese mixture into spinach/kale mixture. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Roll out your pastry. You will need either one 13" and one 14" round or two 9" round and two 10" rounds.
2. Place the smaller round(s) on a parchment lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
3. Beat the egg white with the water.
4. Brush the edges of the smaller round(s) with egg wash.
5. Layer potato over the pastry, leaving a 1-1.5" (2.5-3.5cm) border.
6. Sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the potato.
7. Layer mushrooms on top of cheese.
8. Layer the peppers over the mushrooms.
9. Add the spinach/kale mixture on top of the peppers.
10. Put the rest of the shredded cheese on top of the greens.
11. Shape the filling stack into a rounded mound.
12. Place the larger pastry round(s) over everything and crimp the edges of top and bottom rounds together. Trim into classic scalloped shape around the edge if desired.
13. Brush pastry all over with egg wash.
14. Cut a hole in the top of the pithivier to let steam escape.
15. Cut four small slits around the top.
16. Score the sides of the pastry, being careful not to cut all the way through.
17. Chill in the freezer for 5 minutes (or in the fridge for 15).
18. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 25-30 minutes until pastry is well-browned and cooked through.