Ingredients
POTATOES
700 gr
CORN STARCH
5 tablespoons
GRATED PARMESAN
3 tablespoons
SALT
to taste
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
to taste
FILL
THINLY SLICED COOKED HAM
100 gr
SMOKED PROVOLA
100 gr
Potato focaccia is a gluten-free alternative to the classic pan-fried bread focaccia. Ideal to bring to the table at the beginning of the meal or to propose as a tasty finger food at aperitif time, they are prepared with a dough based on boiled mashed potatoes and grated parmesan that reveals a tasty and melting heart of cooked ham and cheese when bitten: for a creamy and melt-in-the-mouth result that is truly irresistible.

To prepare them, you just need to boil the potatoes with their skin on starting from cold water, peel them while still hot and then pass them through a potato masher, collecting the puree in a bowl together with the grated parmesan, a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt and a few spoonfuls of corn starch: necessary to give the mixture the right consistency. At this point, all you have to do is form the focaccias with the help of a 7-8 cm diameter pastry cutter, fill them in the center with chopped cooked ham and a piece of smoked provola and cook the filled disks obtained in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

The result will be medallions with a guaranteed row and bottom effect, perfect to serve as a single dish for a family lunch or dinner combined with a portion of salad or some gratinated vegetables. If you want, you can flavor the focaccias with chopped chives, thyme leaves, rosemary needles or other aromatic herbs of your choice, or you can spice everything with a pinch of smoked paprika or a grind of fresh pepper.

For this recipe, choose yellow-fleshed potatoes and replace, if desired, the smoked provola with mozzarella well squeezed of the whey, scamorza, emmental, fontina or other stretched curd cheese.

Discover how to prepare potato focaccia by following the step-by-step procedure and advice. If you liked this recipe, also try the potato and rosemary focaccia, baked potato bombs and the pan-fried potato pie.

How to prepare potato focaccia
Step 1
Place the potatoes in a saucepan, covered with cold water, and let them cook for about twenty minutes from when it starts to boil, or until they are tender when pierced with the prongs of a fork 1; then drain them and let them cool.

Step 2
Peel the potatoes, mash them and collect the puree in a large bowl 2.

Step 3
Add the grated parmesan, corn starch and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt 3, then mix the ingredients well until you obtain a soft and homogeneous dough.

Step 4
Place a 7-8 cm diameter pastry cutter on a cutting board, lined with baking paper, fill it halfway with the potato mixture and stuff with a little chopped cooked ham and a piece of smoked provola cheese 4.

Step 5
Cover the filling with more potato mixture, gently remove the pastry cutter 5 and compact everything well with your hands, so as to obtain regular medallions.

Step 6
Heat a drizzle of oil in a non-stick pan and arrange 3-4 focaccias at a time. Let them brown on a medium flame for a few minutes, then turn them gently with a spatula 6 and continue cooking on the other side.

Step 7
As they are ready, transfer the focaccias to a serving dish 7 and continue in this way until you have used up all the ingredients.

Step 8
Bring the potato focaccias to the table 8 and serve them immediately, piping hot.