Preheat oven to 175C fan-forced (195C conventional)

Place a large frypan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and once shimmering, add the chopped cured meats, onion, garlic and capsicum. Turn heat to low and stir constantly to prevent catching, until the meat has caramelised around the edges (about 5 minutes). Add the cumin, paprika, and thyme and cook until just fragrant then add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, tinned tomatoes and wine. Give it a good stir, then turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. You want to cook it until the liquid has mostly reduced.

Leave it in the pan as long as it is ovenproof, or transfer to a baking dish. Scatter over the cheese in a single layer. Top with the potato gems and pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the potato gems are cooked through and golden on top. If you are not getting the crisp golden top, switch your oven to the grill function (or if separated, pop under the grill) and cook for 1-2 minutes for that super-golden crisp top. Serve immediately.

*Lately I've found having a few stashes of simple cured meats in the fridge as important as a deck of eggs and some spinach. You can cobble together all manner of meals from it and its longer shelf life is more important than ever, given that for many, our capacity to pop to the shops has become limited.

Stephanie Alexander's