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Provençale Bake

Ready in 1 hr

Recipe by Graham 

Provençale Bake is inspired by my wife's love of tomatoes and our joint love of food from the Provence region of France (which almost always includes tomatoes!). In dreaming up Provençale Bake, however, I had to use a cheese from elsewhere since most cheeses from Provence are goat cheeses which are less suitable for dishes such as this. This is a great dish for everyone to dig into and you can cook it hours ahead since it tastes even nicer reheated

Try to use floury potatoes if possible. What’s the difference between Waxy and Floury Potatoes? Waxy potatoes (like Charlotte or Maris Peer) are translucent and feel moist and pasty. They are good at staying firm and keeping their shape so they make great salad potatoes. Floury potatoes (like Estima, King Edward, Maris Piper, Desiree) are brighter and more granular in appearance with a drier feel. They're better for dishes where you want fluffy potatoes or for mash.

Preparation Time

15 Minutes

Cooking Time

45 Minutes

Ingredients for Provençale Bake

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 4:

1¾ lb even-sized floury potatoes
3 cloves garlic
10 oz mozzarella or feta cheese
1¾ lb tomatoes
  knob butter
5 - 6 tablespoons olive oil
  salt and pepper

How to Cook Provençale Bake

  1. Wash and thinly slice the potatoes (no need to peel them). Place in a pan with sufficient salted water to cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 mins, then drain well.
  2. Slice the tomatoes, peel and thinly slice the garlic and drain any liquid off the cheese. Use the butter to grease the base and sides of a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Layer up half the potatoes, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzling with oil as you go. Sprinkle about ¾ of the garlic slices over and crumble about ¾ of the cheese on top. Cover with half the sliced tomatoes. Place another layer of potatoes (seasoning and oiling as you place them), the remaining garlic and the remaining cheese, then finish with a layer of tomatoes.
  3. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (Mk 5 - 375ºF - 190ºC) for 45-50 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature as a side dish with Pork Chops or Grilled Gammon Steak.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
To reheat this dish, cover in aluminium foil and place in a moderate oven (Mk 3 - 325ºF - 170ºC) for about 20 minutes. It tastes best when it's not too hot, so warm is just fine