Recipe | Potato and Bacon Terrine

This recipe, Potato and Bacon Terrine, is the perfect festive potato dish for your Christmas Dinner. It can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and kept in your fridge. When required, slice and fry each slice on both sides in a pan with a little olive oil and serve immediately as a side dish or topped with a poached egg as a main dish. Read the article in the Cambridge Independent.

For a terrine dish 35cm long x 10cm wide x 8cm high

Ingredients:

• 20 long and thinly cut smoked streaky bacon slices
• 650g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled, water-thin sliced with a mandolin, washed and dried
• 350g Conte, Gruyere or Cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 400ml cream
• handful of mixed fresh or dried herbs
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Lay a clingfilm sheet on the table (larger and longer than the size of the terrine dish)
• Overlay the slices of bacon in the middle of the sheet and up to the length of the terrine and cover with another sheet of cling film.
• Flatten the layers of sliced bacon as much as possible with a flat spatula.
• Turn your terrine upside down over the bacon. Holding the sheet of cling film, turn the terrine back upright. The bacon will now line the base of the terrine with a layer of cling film underneath.
• With your fingers, push down the bacon, ensure it coats all the inside of the dish, and hang out over the sides. Remove the top layer of cling film.
• Mix together the eggs, egg yolks and cream and add the chopped herbs.
• Start layering some potato slices above the bacon at the bottom of the terrine. Then sprinkle some grated cheese and a little of the egg mixture just to cover the potatoes. Continue to layer to the top of the terrine.
• Fold the overhanging slices of bacon back over to cover the terrine. Fold the cling film on top. Don’t worry; the cling film will not melt but will maintain the layers while cooking.
• Cover with foil and cook at 180C in the oven for about 1h15mins.
• Once cooked, put a weight on top to keep the terrine pressed down. Leave it to cool down and then put it in the fridge overnight.
• Remove the Potato and Bacon Terrine from the tin the following day or when required and cut into 4 cm slices.
• Fry each slice on both sides in a pan with olive oil until hot and crispy on the outside.
• Serve immediately as a side dish with our Roast Rib of Beef or as a main dish with a poached egg.