Date Night Potato Bake

Recipe from: Adrian Richardson

Ingredients

• 250 g bacon (with rind attached)
• 2 brown onions (white or red), sliced thinly
• 4 to 5 garlic, crushed and chopped roughly
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 100 gm butter
• 500 ml stock (chicken, vegetable, or whatever you have)
• 4 large Nicola potatoes (or any waxy potato), skin on (approx 1 kg)
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper

Method

1. Remove the rind from the bacon, keeping some fat attached. Add the rind to a pan and cook gently to render out the fat.
2. Slice the bacon finely, add it to the pan, and cook until sizzling and lightly golden.
3. Trim the tops and bottoms off the onions, remove the core so they separate easily, then slice thinly.
4. Add the onions to the pan, stir through the bacon fat, and cook until soft and lightly caramelised. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
5. Smash or slice the garlic and add it to the pan along with the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Cook until fragrant.
6. Add a generous knob of butter and let it melt through, cooking gently until everything is soft, golden, and aromatic.
7. Wash the potatoes well (Nicola if available) and slice evenly about ¼ cm thick.
8. Spoon the bacon, onion, herbs, and all cooking juices into the base of a skillet or baking dish, including any browned bits.
9. Arrange the potato slices over the top in even layers.
10. Pour stock over the potatoes until it reaches about two-thirds of the way up. Season lightly with salt and pepper and dot with small knobs of butter.
11. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30–45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and golden and the stock has reduced.