Monday 5 December 2011

Sluttishly Savoury: Tartiflette


When you can't tell if the main ingredient in your dinner is cheese or potatoes, you're onto a winner. Tartiflette is a contender for the tastiest thing the French have ever invented (and let's not forget, this is the country responsible for Thierry Henri). Say it out loud: tartiflette, tartiflette, tartiflette. It sounds sexy, doesn't it? It's basically potatoes and bacon smothered in cheese so it is sexy.

But we're not talking a baked potato with cheese (king of snacks), we're talking a whole new level of cheese-based joy. I should have used a whole reblochon cheese, but Asda didn't know what that was. Instead I used brie. You cut the cheese in half, still in the rind, and then cover your dish with it before baking until golden brown. You'll have more cheese than dinner on your plate and you just plain won't care.

Hats off to French cooks everywhere. I think I love you all.

(Serves four, apparently.)

You'll need:
  • 8 large potatoes, peeled
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 rashers of bacon, chopped
  • five cloves of garlic
  • 200ml of double cream
  • 1 reblochon (or 400g brie if your supermarket hasn't heard of reblochon, a Camembert would work too - basically anything in a white rind)
  • salt and pepper
Make it:
  • Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
  • Get the potatoes on to boil.
  • While they're boiling, season and saute the bacon, garlic and onions until they're all reduced and tasty.
  • When the potatoes are boiled, slice them and lay half into an oven proof dish. Add some of the bacon mix and pour some cream over. Repeat.
  • Slice your cheese in half and lay rind side up over your potato mix. Season.
  • Pop in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the cheese is all melted and the rind is a golden brown.
  • Slice, serve with salad and collapse in a heap.

13 comments:

  1. Goodness that looks SO good. Making plans to cook up a storm as we speak. Nomnomnom

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  2. My (French) wife's favourite dish!

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  3. Is it mega cheating to use brie, Rax? Would the missus tell me off? It's Asda's fault.

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  4. Sorry, but a tartiflette is made with reblochon, and reblochon only!

    Any other cheese, (and any other meat than smoked ham) might possibly taste nice.. but it would be a completely different thing.

    Imagine a raclette without raclette cheese, or a Savoyarde fondue without Beaufort, Comte and Ementhal :-D

    from a Picky French Gourmande xxx

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  5. If you could let Asda know that would be great. It's their fault.

    The recipe is still for tartiflette with reblochon - I just used something else.

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  6. Tartiflette also sounds like an affectionate insult.

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  7. Am going to try this tomorrow for dinner - with brie and without bacon! Apologies for my blasphemy :) x

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  8. Recipe tweaking is FUN! Try and find two tartiflette recipes online that are the same...

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  9. I stick some white wine in with the bacon and onions and let it get all yummy and sticky before adding the cream! It's amazing!

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    Replies
    1. Oooh, we have a bit of white wine in the fridge...

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    2. Sainsburys do a great vintage gouda that tastes like heaven in this!!!!

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  10. and I use pancetta ( because it's way better than most of the bacon you can get near me) and gruyère because I like it. Authenticity be dammed! And I say that as a hobbyist Francophile... Vive la difference!

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    Replies
    1. Yep, as long as it tastes good and I have the ingredients in the fridge, I don't much care!

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