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Meat, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Picardy bisteu with green salad

Picardy bisteu is a double crust pie filled with potatoes, bacon and onions, finished with cream, serving 4 people. It takes 1 hour 35 minutes, rates medium difficulty, and costs about €2.40 per serving. Success depends on drying the potatoes before baking and poking a chimney in the crust.

Tonight, a golden Picardy pie, potatoes, bacon and onions in cream, with a green salad on the side.

Picardy bisteu with green salad
Total time
1 h 35
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
610 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Picardy bisteu is the farmhouse pie from northern France, the kind that warms you up without any fuss. Under a golden pastry crust, potatoes melt together with smoky bacon and onions, and the cream poured in near the end of baking ties everything together. The texture is soft inside, crisp on top, with that bacon flavor running through the whole filling.

This is a winter weeknight dish, the kind you make when it is cold outside and you want to settle in at the table. Kids like the crisp crust and the simple, no surprises filling. Plan it for a slower weeknight dinner or a quiet Sunday with the family, served with a green salad that lightens the meal.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • shortcrust pastry 2
  • heavy cream 20 cl
  • eggs 2

Fruits and vegetables

  • potatoes 800 g
  • onion 2
  • parsley 3 sprigs
  • green salad 1

Butcher

  • smoked bacon lardons 200 g

Pantry

  • olive oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • nutmegoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Peel the potatoes, cut them into thin rounds and parboil them for a few minutes in boiling water. 6 min

    Drain them well and let them dry, otherwise they will make the crust soggy.

  2. Cook the bacon and sliced onions in a pan with no added fat, then mix with the potatoes, parsley, pepper and nutmeg.

    The bacon already adds salt, taste before adding more.

  3. Roll out one pastry sheet in a baking dish, add the filling, cover with the second sheet and seal the edges.

    Brush the edges with water before pinching them, they will hold together better.

  4. Brush the top with egg yolk, poke a chimney in the center, and bake at 200°C. 40 min

    Lower the oven to 180°C if the top browns too quickly.

  5. Whisk the cream with one egg, pour it through the chimney, bake for five more minutes and serve with the salad. 5 min

    Pour the cream in slowly through the chimney so it spreads evenly.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a waxy potato variety, it holds up better during baking and keeps the filling from getting too watery.
  • Seal the edges of both crusts firmly before baking, otherwise the cream you pour in later can leak out.
  • Let the pie rest 5 minutes after baking before cutting it, the filling holds together better when you serve it.

The variations

  • Swap the smoked bacon for plain bacon for a milder flavor that works well for younger kids.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and add sliced mushrooms sauteed in a pan instead.
  • For a quicker version, use canned, already cooked potatoes and cut the oven time by ten minutes.

What to serve it with

  • Green salad with vinaigrette
  • Dry cider or apple juice
  • Apple compote for dessert

Storage

The bisteu keeps for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It freezes well once baked and cooled, reheat it in the oven to keep the crust crisp. Avoid the microwave, it softens the pastry.

Questions about this dish

Can you make Picardy bisteu ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the pie the day before and keep it unbaked in the refrigerator. Just add a few extra minutes of baking time the next day since it starts out cold.

Why precook the potatoes before filling the pie?

Precooking keeps the potatoes from releasing too much water during baking. This keeps the crust crisp instead of soggy.

Can you use puff pastry instead of shortcrust?

You can, the result will be flakier and less rustic. Shortcrust pastry stays closer to the traditional Picardy recipe.

Does Picardy bisteu freeze well?

Yes, once it is baked and fully cooled, it freezes without any issue. Reheat it in the oven afterward to get the crust crisp again.

How long does it take to make a Picardy bisteu with green salad?

Count 1 h 35 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Picardy bisteu with green salad?

About 610 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Picardy bisteu with green salad cost?

About €2.40 per serving, or €9.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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