This recipe - due to wartime rationing - was very limited. It contains just a potato (and its peelings), a beetroot, and a drop of milk and we are told doesn't taste that nice!

 

We therefore include an amended peacetime version below by Guernsey woman Marguerite Paul, who has written several cookbooks on Channel Island cuisine which is far more tasty!

• 750 grams old potatoes
• 1 onion (approx 180 grams)
• 60 grams dry smoked streaky bacon
• 280 ml double cream
• 60 grams butter
• 1 small spring cabbage
• 500 ml. vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Peel and finely slice the onion. Gently fry in half the butter.

2. Bring a roomy saucepan of water to the boil. Meanwhile scrub then peel the potatoes, reserving the peel.

3. Remove the onions. Cut the streaky bacon into matchstick size pieces. Gently fry in the now empty frying pan.

4. Thinly slice the potatoes and piece by piece drop them into the boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes then drain in a colander.

5. Refill the saucepan and bring to the boil. Take one leaf at a time from the cabbage. Cut out the main fibre. Stack the leaves and then finely shred. Blanch the shredded leaves in boiling water. Drain.

6. Butter the ovenproof dish with remaining butter. Lay half the potato slices over the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter the cabbage over the top, season. Scatter the bacon over the cabbage, season with pepper. Lay the remaining potatoes on top. Season then pour the cream over the whole dish.

7. Cook in a hot over 350 degrees F/180 degrees C, Gas 4 for for about 45 mins. until bubbling and golden.

8. While the pie cooks, blanch the peel in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and dry on kitchen paper.

9. Heat the oil. Drop the peel in piece by piece making sure there is space between each piece. It takes about 2 mins. Drain on kitchen paper.

10. Remove the pie from the oven, scatter the peel over the top and serve.