Grape-Pickers’ Potatoes

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 600 gms potatoes
• 50 gms butter
• 300 gms thin smoked streaky bacon rashers
• freshly ground pepper
• 120 gms gruyere or similar cheese, grated

Method

Heat the oven to 220˚C.

Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly.

Brush a 24-26cm cast iron or similarly heavy ovenproof dish with a little melted butter. Line the dish with the slices of bacon, covering the bottom and sides and leaving the upper third or so of each rasher hanging over the top of the dish.

Put in a layer of potatoes, season with pepper and scatter over some cheese. Repeat the layers, finishing with potatoes.

Cover the potatoes with the bacon overhang. Dot with the remaining butter, cover with a double layer of foil and bake for about one hour or until the potatoes are cooked.

Remove the dish from the heat, uncover and let it stand for five minutes. Loosen the bacon rashers from the sides of the dish and turn the "cake" out on to a warm serving dish. A green salad is a good accompaniment.