4-6 leaves Savoy cabbage
8 strips, smokey bacon, chopped
1 tbsp / 15 ml butter
6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp / 5 ml fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp / 2.5 ml dried thyme
2 cups / 500 ml old Cheddar cheese, shredded (Applewood Smoked will work well from Say Cheese)
Cook sliced cabbage in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes to blanch, then drain under cold running water to refresh and cool. Let cabbage stand in colander to drain for at least 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture before slicing finely. Chop bacon and saute in butter until it starts to brown. Remove bacon from fat with a slotted spoon and reserve fat. Rinse sliced potatoes and pat dry, then toss in a bowl with 3-4 tbsp (45-60 ml) of reserved bacon fat, thyme, salt and pepper. Brush a nonstick pie plate or springform pan with reserved bacon fat and arrange a layer of sliced potatoes in pan. Top with some of the cheese, then a layer of cabbage and bacon, and another sprinkling of cheese. Continue layering in this fashion, ending with a layer of potatoes and cheese. It’s important that each layer have some cheese to hold the pie together. Press layers down firmly and bake pie in a preheated 375°F / 190°C oven for 1 hour, until brown and crispy. Cut into wedges to serve.
Serves 8.
Source: High Plains, Cinda Chavich