Tartiflette
"Picture this. The French Alps, a big glass of French red wine and a bubbling skillet of Tartiflette. I don’t think a day can get much better than that, do you? Unless you want to smother me in butter and dunk me into the cheesy sauce like a hunk of bread."
Servings: 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
- 10½ oz (300g) Charlotte potatoes or small baby potatoes (about 4 to 5) (see note)
- 1 onion
- 1 bulb garlic
- 3.2 oz (90g) bacon lardons (about 3 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped)
- ¾ cup (200ml) heavy / double cream
- 7 oz (200g) soft cheese such as Brie, Reblochon or Camembert
- Water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop the potatoes into a large dice, then cut the onion to around the same size chunks and set aside. Finely slice or mince the garlic.
- In a medium oven-safe frying pan over a medium-high heat, fry off the bacon lardons until golden brown and crispy. Remove them from the pan (leave as much fat in the pan as you can!) and set aside on a plate with the chopped garlic for later. Into the hot pan with the bacon fat, add a drizzle of oil and throw in the onions and potatoes. Give them a stir so they’re all coated in the fat, then leave them alone to lightly caramelize.
- After a few minutes, stir the pan of onions and potatoes then leave for a few more minutes. Add the garlic and bacon lardons and give the pan a toss and cook for 3-4 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Season the pan well with salt and pepper and pour in the wine. Leave to reduce until almost gone, then pour in enough stock to just cover the potatoes. Leave the tops of the potatoes just peeking out the top.
- Leave the pan to bubble away on the stove for around 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft and delicious. Pour in the double cream and give everything a good stir together. Season to taste with salt and pepper then reduce the cream for a couple of minutes while you get your cheese ready.
- Slice the cheese into long strips (or if it’s a round, cut it in half along the side to end up with two rounds) and lay over the top of your potato mix.
- Preheat your oven to 180℃/350℉.Once the oven is up to temperature, Pop in your cheesy topped Tartiflette. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden on top of the potatoes. That’s it! Serve up with big hunks of crusty bread, plenty of salty butter and a bottle of red wine.
Notes
Charlotte potatoes can be hard to find, so new or baby potatoes are the next best thing. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better when cooked.
The traditional cheese for this dish is called Reblouchon, but it is difficult to find. If you can use it, definitely do because it makes it even better but Brie or Camembert works if you get stuck.
