Bacon-Potato Cake

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves: 4 to 5

Unsalted butter for pan 
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced thin 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
6 thin slices slab bacon, about 6 ounces 
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Lightly butter a 6 inch oven proof dish.
3. Pat potatoes dry on paper towels, place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
4. Line the buttered dish with bacon slices. The shape of the dish can determine the way you lay in the bacon. If it is square dish you can make a lattice work like a pie crust (allowing the edges to hang over the top). If the dish is round, you can arrange the bacon like a pinwheel across the bottom (allowing the edges to hang over the edge). Or you can forget the design and simply line the bottom of the dish leaving enough of the slice left hanging over the edge to cover the top when the layering is complete.
5. Arrange one-half of potatoes in pan in an even layer.
6. Top with half the cheese. Add the remaining half of the potatoes, then the rest of the cheese, then the rest of the potatoes.
7. Fold overhanging bacon strips back over top in whatever design you wish.
8. Place on lowest rack in oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes, until potatoes offer no resistance when pierced with point of a sharp knife.
9. Use a spatula to compress cake a few times during baking.
10. Cool cake on a rack for a few minutes. Place serving plate over cake and invert.
11. Serve in slices or wedges as suits the chosen shape.