Phyllo Cups with Potatoes and Salami Crumbs

The phyllo cups with potatoes and salami crumbs are a delicious appetizer or finger food, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Here’s how to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 4 sheets of phyllo pastry
• 2 medium potatoes
• 100 g of salami, cut into small pieces or crumbs
• 50 g of melted butter
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• A pinch of thyme or aromatic herbs as desired
• Olive oil, for greasing the muffin tins

Preparation

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 180 °C.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Boil them in slightly salted water until they are soft. Drain and mash with a fork, creating a not too fine puree. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cut the phyllo pastry sheets into squares large enough to line your muffin tins (or any small ovenproof mold you have). Lightly grease the tins with olive oil.
4. Take a kitchen brush and coat each phyllo square with some melted butter, then overlap 2-3 squares per tin, making sure to rotate them slightly relative to the previous one to form a sort of star.
5. Once the phyllo pastry is arranged in the tins, add a spoonful of potato puree to each.
6. Add the salami crumbs over the potato puree in each tin and sprinkle with a pinch of thyme or the aromatic herbs you prefer.
7. Fold the edges of the phyllo pastry inward, over the potatoes and salami, pinching them slightly to form a cup shape.
8. Bake the cups and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the phyllo pastry becomes golden and crispy.
9. Remove the cups from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.

Curiosity

The phyllo pastry, thin and crispy, has origins in Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine. It is usually used in both sweet preparations, such as the famous baklava, and savory ones. The combination with potatoes and salami, however, is a small nod to the typical indulgence of the Italian tradition, where salami adds a touch of flavor and liveliness to every dish.