Potato Gratin with Bacon

Ingredients

• 2 lbpotatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 1/4 cupsheavy cream
• 5/8 cupwhole milk
• 2 clovesgarlic, minced
• 6 slicesbacon, chopped
• 1onion, thinly sliced
• 3 1/2 ozcheddar, grated
• 1/2 ozbutter, for the dish
• 1 tspsea salt, to taste
• 1/2 tspblack pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a baking dish. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Lift it out onto paper towels and leave the fat in the pan.

2. 2

   In the bacon fat, cook the sliced onion with a pinch of salt over medium heat until soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cooking it in the fat is where a lot of the flavor comes from.

3. 3

   In a saucepan, warm the cream, milk, minced garlic, salt and pepper until steaming but not boiling.

4. 4

   Slice the potatoes thin. Layer them in the dish, scattering the onion and most of the bacon between the layers and seasoning lightly as you go. Pour the warm cream over so it comes just to the top of the potatoes.

5. 5

   Scatter the cheddar and the reserved crisp bacon over the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a knife slides through with no resistance and the top is deep golden.

6. 6

   Rest the gratin for 10 minutes before serving so it sets enough to cut into neat pieces.