Bacon and Potato Bake

You all know how I love old recipes! Do you remember when there were booklets in butcher shops and often freebies, if you sent off for them, tips for cooking bacon and suchlike? Did you have a copy of “The Best of British Bacon? Well, I do, from the 1970s and my copy is well thumbed and all the pages are brown. But it is full of little gems. And here is one of them. I have adapted it slightly, but please read the note at the bottom. 

You will need a small pie tin. Preferably metal, as pictured. It will brown the bake nicely.

Pre heat your fan oven to 180C. This is for two generous portions.

8 oz streaky bacon [plus extra rashers for topping]

8 oz potatoes

a small onion or large banana shallot, finely chopped

2 large eggs

3 fl oz pref whole milk

1 oz plain flour

Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt flakes

¼ oz lard

These days we do not have to de rind the bacon, as the recipe suggests!!

Chop the bacon into small pieces. Peel the potatoes and grate them onto a piece of kitchen paper to absorb the liquid. and squeeze out most of the liquid. [I used Maris Piper] In a medium bowl, mix the bacon, onion and potato.

Mix the flour with a little milk until smooth, then add the rest of the milk, the eggs and seasonings. I also added some chopped parsley - but then I am Cornish through and through, and everything benefits from some chopped parsley!  Combine the eggy and bacon mixtures.

Place pie dish in a hot oven with the lard until it is melted and hot. Tip in your mixture and roughly level off and bake for about 45 mins.

Meanwhile grill or fry the other bacon rashers and place on top. Serve with a side of baked beans! My husbands fave. 

How delicious does that look? Yum, great for an easy lunch or simple supper.

Note: easily doubled, but add some cooking time.

Note: I decided to quickly fry the bacon bits in a very hot pan to brown them. Then I quickly took them out and followed with the onion to lightly brown that. Does not really affect the taste but I like the colour of the browed bacon. I also placed a couple of pieces of back bacon on the top instead of streaky slices. But whatever!