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1
Heat the oven to 180 °C. Butter the moule à farcement — its tall chimney tube and all interior walls — with a generous, unbroken layer of softened butter. Set the mould on a baking tray.
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2
Grate the peeled potatoes on the fine side of a box grater. Transfer to a clean cloth and wring firmly until no further liquid drips from the cloth. The grated mass should feel almost dry to the touch.
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3
In a large bowl combine the dried potatoes, smoked lardons, prunes, raisins, dried pear, beaten eggs, flour, cream, sugar, and nutmeg. Mix until the batter is fully cohesive — no streaks of flour visible, the fruit and lardons evenly distributed throughout.
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4
Pour the batter into the prepared moule à farcement. It should fill the mould to within 2 cm of the rim. Transfer to the oven and bake at 180 °C for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours. This is where the dish lives or dies: the farcement must bake long enough for the exterior to develop a deep, dark, mahogany crust — caramelization, not burning — while the interior remains dense and moist with softened fruit and rendered bacon throughout. Do not shorten the bake; under-baking produces a pallid, starchy result that is the principal fault of the dish.
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5
Remove from the oven. Leave the farcement in its mould for 10 minutes undisturbed. The cake contracts slightly from the walls as it cools; a thin skewer inserted to the centre should emerge with moist but not raw crumbs clinging to it.
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6
Invert onto a warm board or platter. The farcement should release cleanly, presenting a dark, caramelized cylinder. Cut into thick slices — the interior pale and steaming, shot through with pockets of fruit and bacon. Serve at once, with a drizzle of cream if desired.