Lockdown means a different approach not only to the food I am cooking at home but also sharing online. It’s about ingredients that are easy to get and simple dishes that make us feel fabulous. This banger is one of my mum’s recipes, not something I have ever had the chance to share in the past. It’s not Middle Eastern. As a kid, food was always a huge part of our lives but often I didn’t like what I was given. My whimsical eating habits developed early and I was most unimpressed with the British staples I was often presented with. This recipe was something my mum used to make for ‘special dinners during the week’ – as a grown up, it’s so funny to think it was basically when she had f-all in the fridge, but as kids we all adored it; a smoky bacon and cheese sauce poured over buttery jacket potatoes or pasta. It was heaven and I thought now was the perfect time share it.
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 fan. Rub the oil all over the potatoes and pop them into a roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about an hour or until golden on the outside and tender inside.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan and add the onion and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until golden. add the garlic and mix well.
- Add the flour to the onions and mix together. Working fast, pour in the milk, a little at a time and stir together. Keep adding the milk and mixing until you have a smooth sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes to cook out the flavour of the flour. If it gets too thick add a splash more milk.
- Chuck the cheese and a good pinch of salt and pepper to the sauce and stir together until melted.
- To serve, cut an X into the potatoes and fluff the inside with a fork. Add a good knob of butter to each one and pour loads of the sauce over the top. Serve immediately with green salad.
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large roasting potatoes
50g butter plus extra for the potatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
150g bacon, thinly sliced
30g flour
400ml whole milk
100g cheese
Green salad to serve
Salt and pepper
