Tartiflette (Potato, Cheese and Bacon Gratin)

Tartiflette is a famous French gratin of potatoes baked with bacon, onions and reblochon cheese, perfect for a Winter dinner meal. The name comes from the word “tartifla”, meaning “potato” in the dialect from Savoy, an Alps region. Contrary to what most people – even the French – think, this dish, often referred to as traditional and proudly served in many Savoy restaurants, has an incredibly short and rather disappointing history. In fact, instead of being a traditional recipe transferred through generations of mountain dwellers, it was cleverly created in the 80s in order to promote reblochon, a soft washed-rind aged cheese from Savoy, and thus increase its sales. Actually, even though the Savoy inhabitants have now accepted the tartiflette as a part of their culinary heritage, they saw it for the first time only when ski resorts restaurants started to serve it.

Luckily, not the history, but the taste is here of course the crucial point, and tartiflette can only be described as irresistible. Several layers of sliced potatoes covered with fried bacon and onions, topped with generous chunks of reblochon, everything baking in a sauce created by cream, white wine and melting cheese… I haven’t met yet anyone who doesn’t like it. At the same time it is incredibly easy and, when prepared with leftover cooked potatoes, it is also very quick. If you don’t live in France or in its proximity, the only problem might be getting the reblochon. Unfortunately I can’t give any foolproof substitution advice here, since I have never tried using another type of cheese. However, probably another good ripe soft washed-rind cheese is worth giving a try. It will, at least behave similarly in the oven, melting into the cream and wine mixture and producing a thick creamy sauce. Aprémont is a Savoy wine advised to use and drink with tartiflette, but any dry sturdy white wine can be used instead.

Preparation: 1 hour

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

1 whole reblochon cheese

1kg big potatoes

150 ml cream

200 g smoked bacon in small cubes

2 big onions

20 cl Aprémont or another strong white dry wine

salt, pepper

oil for frying

Cook the potatoes. Let them cool down a bit, peel them and slice them thinly.

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Chop the onions and the bacon. Fry them both (together or separately) until the bacon is a bit crunchy and the onion has softened.

In individual baking dishes (or a big one if you don’t have those) put a layer of sliced potatoes, cover with the mixture of bacon and onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper and continue like this finishing with a potato layer (I usually make three potato layers and two bacon-onion ones).

Cut the reblochon in two parts, so that you obtain two thin circles, each covered with rind on one side.

Cut each thin circle in several big chunks and arrange them on top of the individual dishes, rind side up.

Pour the cream and the white wine on top of the gratin and bake it (about 20 minutes) until it is golden.

Serve it piping hot with a lightly seasoned green salad and white white, sturdy enough to support the strong taste of cheese and bacon.