Tartiflette Savoie

There is no shortage of cheese in the Haute Savoie. All the best alpine dishes seem either to include it heavily, or exist of it solely in various stages of melt. Because I am supposed to provide recipes here, and not just instructions on how to melt cheese, I’ve chosen to make Tartiflette. It’s not healthy, but it is very traditionally Savoyard, and very delicious. Besides, if you’ve used up all your energy dealing with snow chains, I think it’s ok to indulge. 

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4) 

• 30g butter
• 1.2kg baking potatoes
• 2 small brown onions
• 250g bacon rashers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 125ml white wine
• 250ml pouring (single) cream
• 450g (approx. 1 round) Reblochon cheese
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• Cornichons and pickled onions to serve

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Peel the potatoes and then boil for 10 minutes in a large pot of slightly salted water. Drain and put aside until they are cool enough to handle, then slice into thin rounds.

Slice the peeled onions thinly, and chop the bacon into 2cm lardons. Heat the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onions and bacon over medium heat. After 5 minutes, add the crushed garlic, and stir to ensure that it does not stick or burn. Turn the heat up slightly beneath the pan, and then de-glaze with the white wine. Cook for a further minute or two in order to allow the wine to evaporate off, before removing from the heat.

Layer the potatoes in a large oven-proof dish. Topping with a little salt (though keep in mind that the bacon may already be quite salty), some black pepper, and a layer of the onion and bacon mixture. Continue to layer in this manner until you reach the top of the dish. Finish with a layer of potatoes and then carefully pour the cream evenly across the top. Thickly slice the Reblochon into rounds and place these on the top of the tartiflette.

Cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until brown and deliciously bubbly on top. If the top is not crisping to your liking, finish it under a hot grill.

Serve hot with cornichons and a green salad. 

/ Back to Recipes