Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

For the tomato filling:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add more oil to the pan if necessary, and sauté the garlic and onions until soft and translucent. Add half the tomatoes and cook until slightly softened. Return the bacon to the saucepan, season with salt and stir in the balsamic reduction. Remove from the heat and add the remaining tomatoes. Add the flour and stir through. Spoon into a large ovenproof dish/s or pan/s.

For the biscuit topping:
Sift the flour and baking powder together and cut in the butter with a blunt knife until the texture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add half the cheese and all the milk and cream and mix to form a sticky dough. Spoon the dough on top of the tomato mixture, leaving the middle of the dish exposed. Brush the dough with the extra cream. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the entire dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Lift the topping slightly with a knife to check if the topping is cooked underneath. If necessary, cover with foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until the topping is completely cooked.

Tip:
Leave out the bacon to turn this bake into a vegetarian dish.

Extracted from Cooking for Crowds by Callie Maritz and Marie-Louise Guy, published by Human & Rousseau.