Let's try "bac," a Czech potato cake baked in a rectangular pan and served as a side dish with the main course. It smells wonderfully of garlic and ham, and each bite melts on your tongue. Traditional Czech cuisine has never tasted better than this!
Before you start: Peel the garlic cloves and mash them using a hand presser.
Make yeast starter: Mix about half a cup of lukewarm milk in a small bowl with a teaspoon of sugar and the dry yeast. Allow to rise in a warm place until foam forms on the surface.
Cut the ham into small cubes and fry it in two teaspoons of fat in a frying pan over medium heat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Peel the raw potatoes and shred them finely. I use a hand box grater (not a food processor) for this. Then put the potato shreds in a sieve and squeeze the excess liquid over the sink.
Put the shredded squeezed potatoes, eggs, flour, activated yeast starter, remaining lukewarm milk, fried ham, mashed garlic, salt, and ground pepper into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, mix until combined.
Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour.
Grease the baking dish with fat (lard or butter). Pour the raised potato mixture into it and smooth the surface.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and bake the potato cake for 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C). For a delicately crispy crust, brush the cake surface with a tablespoon of melted lard or butter, and bake for another 5–10 minutes until the cake turns golden.
Notes
Makes about 16 slices.
SERVING: Old World Bohemians commonly served this savory cake warm and sliced as a tasty side dish to the main course, most often with sauces. The more add-ins to the cake, such as crackling, ham, garlic, or marjoram, the more likely it is to be eaten as a separate dish.
In some villages around Domazlice, people sprinkled the cake's surface with poppy seeds before putting it in the oven. If you like poppy seeds, try this way too.