Chef Smith calls this dish one of the toughest in his cookbook "The Best of Chef at Home"Charla Jones/The Globe and Mail
I've been making this dish for a long time. I'm so proud of it that it's the only recipe that's been in all four of my books. This special-occasion treat features the classic trio of potatoes, bacon and cheddar. It will take you a while to make, but the results are more than worth it. It's the sort of thing that looks complicated until you try it and quickly realize how simple it is to master.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
2 pounds (1 kilogram) room-temperature bacon
Plenty of freshly ground pepper
4 cups shredded aged cheddar
5 or 6 large baking potatoes, unpeeled
A sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 onion, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Method
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Arrange the bacon in a radial pattern from the centre of the bottom of a 10- or 12-inch round non-stick baking pan to the lower edge of the rim and continuing up and over the sides of it.
Let the ends hang over. The slices should overlap slightly around the sides of the pan. To reduce the thickness of the bacon in the centre, stagger every other piece, starting it 2 inches from the centre and extending it further than the adjacent slices.
With the palm of your hand, flatten the centre area, leaving no gaps in the bacon. Season the bacon with lots of pepper and then sprinkle on several spoonfuls of the shredded cheddar.
Slice the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as you can, about 1/4 inch thick, using a sharp knife or mandolin.
Arrange a circular pattern of overlapping slices around the inside bottom edge of the pan. Continue arranging overlapping layers of the potatoes until the bottom is evenly covered. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
Mix together the onion and garlic and sprinkle some of the mixture onto the potatoes. Continue with a layer of the shredded cheese. Cover with another layer of potato, pressing it down firmly before continuing with alternate layers of the potatoes, onion mixture and cheese, insetting each a bit from the edge of the pan until the top is an inch or so higher than the pan's rim. Fold the overhanging bacon neatly up and over the top of the potatoes.
Trim a piece of parchment paper and place it in between an ovenproof lid and the bacon. This will prevent the bacons ends from pulling back and shrinking during cooking.
Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. You'll know it's done when a small, thin bladed knife inserts easily. In the case of Genevieve's tart, which was delicious, I suggested she take the parchment paper off for the last 20 minutes to let the bacon crisp, otherwise it may still be too pink.
Pour off as much of the fat around the edges as possible. Let the tart stand for 15 minutes and then invert it onto a cutting surface. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.
You may refrigerate any leftovers and reheat them later in a microwave.
As a variation, try mixing a few spoonfuls of your favourite fresh herb into the onion mixture. Thyme, rosemary and tarragon all work well.
Michael Smith is the host of the Food Network's Chef at Home, Chef at Large and The Inn Chef.