Potato Bacon-Cheddar Tart

I first saw this done by Chef Michael Smith and I couldn`t get it out of my mind for about a year until I gave in and made it(and you`ll see why). After all, it has a crust made entirely of bacon....I made this dish for Easter dinner with a Rosemary and Apple- Glazed Ham so I added some chopped fresh rosemary to compliment it and it turned out beautifully.

Recipe:

2 lbs Bacon
7-8 Russet Potatoes
Small handfull of fresh Rosemary (Chopped very fine)
4 Cups of Extra Old Cheddar (shredded)
1 Yellow Onion (Sliced)
2 cloves of Garlic (Chopped)

Sautee the onions and garlic until it`s very tender. Set it aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut a round of Parchment Paper to fit a 12 inch skillet and lay out 2 lbs of bacon on it in a fan pattern. Alternate the sides of the bacon and also leave every 2nd piece just short of the middle. That will prevent a mound of bacon in the middle of the tart.

Scrub and cut 7 - 8 Russet Potatoes in very thin slices. Lay out potato slices in a fan pattern to cover the bottom fully with a one slice layer. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper and a light sprinkle of Rosemary. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the potatoes to make a thick layer. Add the onions and garlic. Repeat until you reach the top of the pan. Then make 2-3 more layers leaving the outermost  layer off each time. The potatoes will shrink and this will help the tart keep its shape. 

Now, fold the remaining bacon over the top of the tart. Make sure you are sealing the top of the tart.

Once you have finished folding all of the bacon over, give your tart a slight push of your hand to firm up the wrapping. Place a small lid or oven safe plate on the center of the top to stop the bacon from curling in the oven. 

 Place the skillet on a cookie sheet to catch any bacon grease that comes over the edge. Bake the tart for 2.5 - 3 hours. When you take the tart out of the oven, drain off the grease from the skillet and remove the tart by flipping it upside down onto a plate, removing the parchment paper and flipping it again onto another plate to make it the right way up.

Cut the tart into pie shaped pieces and serve.

...then run for a few hours on the treadmill reminding yourself that it was worth every minute.