Lattice not be De-Terre'd

It's quite a relief to be given another savoury flan from Fanny at this point, there are only so many tartes du jour I can consume! I don't think Fanny thought this through when compiling this part-work, either that or she never reckoned on some crazy cook working their way through each recipe 40 years later. This one is fairly humble - avoiding all possible pie puns is not easy - using Potato, Onion, cream, eggs and cheese really. Of course Fanny encourages me to fancy it up a little.

Fanny insists that I steam my potatoes - never, ever boil them - and fill my raw savoury flan case with grated onion. The grating seems to make them very wet, and ever fearful of that soggy bottom I am cautious, but willing to go with Fanny's flow as before. Usual compiling rules apply here - on top of the grated onion Fanny asks for some smoked bacon, which I substitute for smoked Paprika, then layers of seasoned, sliced, steamed potatoes, the cream and egg mixed together and top off with slices of Gruyere cheese. Fanny has thoroughly modern tastes really.

Fanny says I can now either cover with a plain pastry top (so it is a pie?) or if I am feeling confident I could try a lovely trellised lattice top using a thoroughly modern kitchen gadget to create it. At first I think I'm going to have to go with the pastry top, having never seen the lattice-trellis-maker-thingy Fanny recommends. However a quick search on eBay uncovers the exact one Fanny features - result! Shopping Cart updated, checkout complete.

It seems quite a length to go to to get this trellised top, but it looks pretty and Fanny provides a pic-strip to guide me - so it'd be rude not to. I really I just need to lay some pastry on top, roll over with a rolling pin, pop out the tiny squares and magically a lattice will appear... Easy.

With the trellis firmly in place on top of the onions, potatoes and cheese it's in the oven with it, with the usual instruction to remove it when it's baked. Fanny gives a picture of the finished flan so I keep checking until it is lovely and golden. Fanny tells me I can serve it hot or cold, and recommends this one as a particularly good idea cold for picnics. Fanny tells me if I have left it too late for picnic weather I can save it for 1971 - the following year. I am pretty sure she means saving the recipe and not the actual Tarte aux Pommes de Terre I am carefully removing from the oven - but, as I am learning, with Fanny you never know...