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Bacon, Tomato and Brie Feast

An ideal starter for dinner parties. This bacon, brie, and tomato starter is full of flavour.
Campbells Image

Recipe by

Campbells

4 hrs 30 mins

Easy

Serves 4

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Ingredients

For the potato rosti

  • 2 large floury potatoes, peeled
  • 4 tbsp unsalted clarified butter
  • 4 tbsp sunflower oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

For the topping

  • 4 slices Brie
  • 16 oven-dried tomatoes, well drained (see below)
  • 16 slices thin-cut-dry-cure smoked streaky bacon
  • handful wild rocket leaves
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

For the oven-dried tomatoes

  • 8 plum tomatoes, halved lengthways
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 bay leaves, cut into strips
  • 6 branches of thyme
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
  • plenty of olive oil to cover the tomatoes, for storing

Method

  • Step 1 : Prepare the tomatoes

    Preheat your oven to 120C (or lower if you have a fan oven).

    Lay halved tomatoes, cut side up, on a wire tray set inside a baking tray.

    Thinly slice the garlic and press 1 or 2 slices into each tomato half.

    Sprinkle the tomatoes with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, thyme and bay leaves, salt, and pepper.

    Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 4 hours, or until the tomatoes are dried and shrunken to about half their original size.

    Remove the tray from the oven and let the tomatoes cool. Pick off the herbs and, if not using immediately, place the tomatoes in a clean storage container and completely cover with olive oil and oregano leaves. This can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

  • Step 2 : Prepare the rostis

    For the potato rosti, grate the potatoes coarsely into a clean tea towel.

    Fold the towel over the potato to form a ball and squeeze with your hands to remove as much water as possible.

    Melt the clarified butter and mix it with the oil.

    Heat 4 blini pans and pour a little of the butter and oil into each pan.

    Open the cloth and season the potato. Divide the potato between the pans and fry until golden brown. Avoid using too high a heat or the center will not be cooked. If the pan appears dry, add a little oil. Having too little fat in the pan will give a poor color to the rosti.

    When the first side is golden brown, turn each rosti over and finish cooking, adding more oil as needed. Transfer the cooked rosti to a baking tray for reheating later.

  • Step 3 : Prepare the bacon

    Preheat your oven to 200C. Lay the bacon slices on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for about 12 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

  • Step 4 : To serve

    Take the rosti potatoes (reheat them briefly in a hot oven if necessary) and arrange the tomatoes, bacon, and cheese on top of each, layering the ingredients as you go.

    Place the tray in the oven to warm through and for the cheese to slightly melt. Take care not to let the cheese melt too much. You can flash the towers in and out of the hot oven to keep the bacon as crisp as possible.

    When hot, serve the feasts on warm plates with a little of the tomato oil around and top off with rocket leaves.