Delicious UK - (03)March 2020

Keysto success

NEXTMONTH

A classicrevived:prawncocktail

Boulangèrepotatoes

wrappedinstreakybacon

SERVES8.HANDS-ONTIME 30 MIN,

OVENTIME1 HOUR15-30MINUTES,PLUSRESTING

MAKE

AHEAD

Completetherecipeupto2 daysahead,

thencool,coverandchill.Reheatina warm

ovenuntilpipinghot.Microwaveleftovers

inportionsandservewitha littleextragrated

gruyèreanda sidesalad,if youlike.

• 400gBritishoutdoor-bred,drycuredstreaky
  bacon,rashersstretchedwiththebackofa knife
  (youmightnotneedalltherashers)


• 1.5kgflourypotatoes,unpeeled,slicedverythinly
  (seeKeystoSuccess)


• 150mlchickenstock


• 2 tbspfreshlychoppedthyme


• 1 onion,finelysliced


• 50ggruyère,grated


• 30gbutter,cubed

YOU’LLALSONEED...

• 20cmheavy-dutyroundcaketin,greased
  withbutter

GOODTOHAVE...

• Mandoline

1 Heattheovento180°C/160°Cfan/gas4.Linethe

baseandsidesofthetinwiththebacon(leaving

nogaps),andlettheendsoverhangthetin.

2 Puttheslicedpotatoesina bowlwiththestock

andtosswelltocoat.Layerthepotatoesinthetinin

a spiralpattern,startingfromthemiddleand

radiatingoutwards.Seasonandscatterthyme,onion,

gruyèreandbutterbetweeneachlayerasyouadd

thepotatoes,pressingdowneachlayertomake

sureyoudon’thaveanyobviousgaps.Pourany

remainingstockfromthebowloverthepotatoes.

3 Wraptheoverhangingbaconoverthetoplayerof

potatoes.Coverwithfoil,thenputthetinona baking

trayandbakefor1 hourto1 hour 15 minutesoruntil

thepotatoesfeeltenderwhenpiercedwitha knife.

4 Oncethepotatoesaretender,removethefoil

(keepit tohand),thenreturnthetintotheovenfor

a further 15 minutestobrownthebacon.Setaside

torestfor 15 minutes,looselycoveredwiththefoil,

thenturnoutandcutintowedgestoserve.

PERSERVING376kcals,17.4gfat(7.6gsaturated),

15.3gprotein,37.1gcarbs(2.9gsugars),1.7gsalt,

4.7gfibre

USE THE RIGHT POTATOES

Choose a variety with a floury

texture so the baked spuds have a

soft texture without too much bite.

Maris piper or desiree are ideal.

SLICE AS THINLY AS YOU CAN

A mandoline is useful for slicing

the potatoes quickly and evenly, but

if you don’t have one, a sharp chef ’s

knife will do a good job.

DON’T RUSH THE PROCESS

Take your time over the layering

process. The potatoes will cook

more evenly if they’re a consistent

thickness, and eliminating gaps as

you layer will result in a finished

bake that’s easy to slice.

SEASON WITH CARE

With simple fare like this, you

need to make sure everything is

well seasoned. Seasoning the

potatoes with the onion, herbs,

cheese and butter as you work helps

distribute the flavours evenly. The

bacon, cheese and stock will add

saltiness, so go easy with adding

salt – but do bring on lashings

of freshly ground black pepper.

USE TOP-QUALITY BACON

Animal welfare is important, and

well reared and produced meat

tastes better and has a better texture.

Choose dry-cured bacon to prevent

excess water (often added to cheaper

bacon during the curing process)

leaching out as the potatoes bake.

Dry-cured bacon also won’t stick

to the tin as it cooks.

NEXT TIME: MAKE IT THE CLASSIC WAY

For a classic boulangère, layer the potatoes in a

30cm baking dish, then pour over 400ml chicken

stock and bake. For a creamier version, replace

half the stock with whole milk.

The recipe

MASTERCLASS: GOLDEN RULES

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