SPINACH AND BACON GRATIN

INGREDIENTS: 1 leek; finely sliced 125 g streaky bacon; chopped 1 bunch spinach; stems discarded and leaves chopped

6 potatoes; peeled and thinly sliced 1 garlic clove; peeled and minced 2 thyme sprigs; leaves only

250 ml cream Salt and pepper Olive oil

METHOD: 1. Preheat oven to 180 °C. 2. Steam the spinach leaves for about a minute, then refresh in ice-cold water. Squeeze out any excess water and set aside. 3. Place potatoes, garlic, thyme and cream in a bowl and mix together. Season and set aside. 4. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and sauté leeks for a few minutes. 5. Add the chopped bacon and continue to fry until crispy. 6. Lightly butter an ovenproof dish and pack the potatoes in as tightly as you can until half way. 7. Sprinkle a thin layer of crispy bacon followed by all the spinach. 8. Pack in the remaining potatoes and pour over any leftover cream mixture. 9. Top with the rest of the crispy bacon and cover with foil. 10. Place in oven for 45 min. or until potatoes are cooked through. 11. Remove foil and cook for a further 15 min. or until golden brown.

Serves: 4

#pinach #potato #bacon #gratin