Gatto di Patate Napoletano con Scamorza

Ingredients

• 1 kg floury potatoes, boiled in their skins, peeled and mashed dry while hot
• 200 g Scamorza affumicata, cut into 1 cm cubes — do not grate
• 150 g Neapolitan salami, cut into small pieces or thick strips
• 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• 2 eggs, beaten, for the potato mixture
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced, for the filling layer
• 80 g strutto (lard), for the potato mixture and for greasing the dish
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, dotted on top before baking
• 60 g fine dried breadcrumbs, for lining top and bottom of the dish generously
• 1 tsp fine salt

Method

1. 1
   Boil the potatoes in their skins until completely tender. Drain, peel immediately, and pass through a potato ricer or mouli while still hot. Spread the mash briefly across the board or pan to allow steam to escape — the result must be dry. No butter, no cream is added at this stage. The mash is ready when it holds its shape and releases no visible moisture.
2. 2
   Work the lard, beaten eggs, and Parmigiano into the hot dry mash. Season with salt. Fold with a wooden spoon until the mixture is cohesive, uniformly enriched, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl. The texture should be firm enough to hold a pressed layer without slumping.
3. 3
   Grease a deep round baking dish (approximately 24 cm diameter) generously with lard on base and sides. Coat the entire interior with a thick, even layer of breadcrumbs, pressing them firmly to adhere; tip out any excess. The base coat must be thorough — insufficient crumbing at the bottom causes the gattò to tear on turning out.
4. 4
   Press half the potato mixture into the dish in an even layer, smoothing it flat with the back of a wet spoon. Distribute the Scamorza cubes, salami pieces, and sliced hard-boiled eggs across the surface in a single filling layer. Spoon the remaining potato over the filling and press firmly and evenly to seal the interior completely. The top surface should be level with no filling visible at the edges — this is where the dish lives or dies: a loose or uneven press will cause the gattò to collapse when cut and the filling pockets will not hold their character.
5. 5
   Scatter breadcrumbs generously over the entire top surface and dot with the tablespoon of butter in small pieces. Place in an oven set to 180 °C. Bake for 40–45 minutes. The gattò is ready when the crust is deeply golden and the edges have pulled slightly from the dish; a pale surface indicates under-baking and insufficient textural contrast.
6. 6
   Remove from the oven and rest in the dish for 10 minutes without disturbance. Run a palette knife around the edges, invert a serving plate over the dish, and turn out in one decisive movement. The base crust should present as a uniform golden surface. Allow to cool for a further 2–3 minutes before slicing — the internal structure firms sufficiently for clean, defined portions.