Recipe – Potato Gratin with Smoky Bacon
Ingredients
| 8 rashers thick cut bacon | 1 tsp hot mustard |
| 8 large potatoes, thinly sliced | 1 tsp chicken stock powder |
| 1 medium onion, thinly sliced | 1 tsp salt |
| 1 cup thickened cream | Freshly ground black pepper to taste |
| 100ml milk | Fresh chives, to serve |
Directions
Step 1 – Soak your preferred wood chips in water for at least one hour before cooking. We recommend pecan or hickory chips for this recipe.
Step 2 – Heat the BBQ to medium heat (180 – 200°C) with two zone heat. Ensure the grills are clean. If you are using a charcoal grill, keep at least half of the charcoal grate clear of briquettes or charcoal as a zone of indirect heat. If you are using a gas BBQ, light a burner on one side of the BBQ only. If you are using a Weber Q, have a trivet and convection tray on hand.
Step 3 – Once the BBQ has reached temperature, drain the wood chips and add to a smoker box. Place the smoker box into the BBQ over direct heat. Once smoke appears, add a little olive oil to a large Weber Ware or BBQ safe frying pan and cook the bacon, with the BBQ lid closed so that the bacon takes on a smoky flavour.
Step 4 – While the bacon is cooking, combine the cream, milk, mustard, chicken stock powder, salt and pepper in a small jug.
Step 5 – Remove the bacon from the pan and chop coarsely, retaining the fats in the pan. Layer one third of the potato evenly across the bottom of the pan, top with one third of the onion and one third of the bacon. Repeat the process and then pour the cream mixture over the potato mixture. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake on medium heat for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the gratin is golden on top. Top with the chives and serve immediately.
