Sluttishly Savoury: Chicken and Leek Tartiflette

It's no secret that we love tartiflette. We recommend it to you all the time, and is there any wonder? Melted Reblochon cheese, bacon, potatoes, garlic, HOO GIRL THIS IS GOOD FOOD.

Last night I wanted to eat tartiflette. I also wanted to eat chicken and leek pie. You know what's coming next, don't you? Uh-huh. I made chicken and leek tartiflette. I am SO EXCITED to share this with you lot. It is delicious. Just... really delicious. It's saucy, cheesy (you'll suddenly find a gooey bit of cheese in your forkful - brilliant), meaty, and a wee bit winey. I had seconds. Then thirds.

Reblochon, if you can get it, is traditional. But this recipe isn't traditional, so I for one don't give a toss if you replace it with Brie, Camembert or even Gruyère. You may upset some French people, but chacun à son goût and all that, eh?

Chicken & Leek Tartiflette (serves 4)
You will need:

• 350g chicken breast
• 750g firm salad potatoes, skin left on and finely sliced (I used Exquisa; Charlotte are also good)
• A little olive oil
• 200g smoked lardons
• 4-5 small leeks, sliced
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 chicken Knorr Stock Pot, or equivalent
• 100ml boiling water
• 100ml white wine
• 200ml double cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 250g Reblochon cheese, rind removed (it's okay to leave it on if you prefer) and roughly chopped

Make it!

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Poach the chicken breasts in a pan of boiling water - add a little chicken stock if you want (totally optional). Ten minutes should cook them to perfection, but if yours are fat, they may need a couple of minutes more. Remove from the water and leave to cool, shredding once it's okay to touch without burning your fingers.
3. While the chicken's poaching, give the potatoes 5-7 minutes in a pan of simmering, salted water. Drain and set those aside, too.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and fry the lardons until crispy and turning brownish. Add the leeks and onion, and stir until soft. Then add the garlic, fry for a mere minute, and remove from the heat.
5. Make up the stock using the boiling water and wine, and pour this and the cream into the frying pan with the bacon and other bits and bobs. Stir well, and return to the heat until the sauce just begins to bubble at the sides of the pan. Add the shredded chicken and stir again. Taste and season - salt shouldn't be needed, thanks to the lardons.
6. In a large baking dish, layer the potatoes, chicken and sauce mixture, and about two-thirds of the Reblochon, keeping going until you reach the top, where you should finish with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and bake in the centre of the oven for about half an hour.
7. Scatter the rest of the cheese over the top, and pop back in the oven for a further 15 minutes.
8. DIE OF HAPPINESS, but not before eating most of your tartiflette straight from the baking dish.