Dinner Tonight: Tartiflette
I still can’t believe the fiancée cooked this for me. When I’m working late, it’s par for her to shun bacon, eschew oil, and cook as many vegetables as possible. So I was a little surprised when I came home to a bacon laden gratin with half a wheel of cheese melted on top. I kissed her immediately. I mean, really—what a wonderful thing to do. She found it in the North Market Cookbook. The cheesemonger said he got the recipe “from a French customer.” How intriguing.
The only cheese permitted to be used on a tartiflette is Reblochon, a soft cheese made in the French Alps. Or, at least that’s what Wikipedia states. It also said it was invented in the 1980s as a marketing ploy to sell more cheese. Whatever. Using cream is traditional (as of 1980), but chicken stock is also accepted. It’s surprisingly tasty, not a bit too greasy, and even more wonderful if you can get someone to make it for you.
Tartiflette
- makes 2 servings -
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 thick
1/2 quart chicken stock or cream
1/4 pound of bacon, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 wheel of Reblochon
Butter
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Add the stock or cream to a skillet, bring to a simmer. Toss in the potatoes with a little salt and pepper. Cook until they are slightly tender, about 10 minutes.
3. While that’s going on, cook the bacon in another skillet. When the fat begins to render, add the chopped onion. Cook until they are softened.
4. Butter a gratin dish, and then dump the bacon and onion mixture in. Place the potatoes gently on top. Finally, place the cheese, rind side up, on top.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese has lightly browned. Let it sit for a minute before digging in.
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7 Comments:
Two questions: how much yummy cheese and how should it be sliced to go rind side up; and please tell me this is not just two servings! I want to eat half, could eat half, but should I eat half?
Cary at 4:44PM on 01/07/08
The first time I ate this (in France), I ate the whole thing myself. My recipe calls for a whole cheese - probably about 12 oz, if I remember from the markets in France. If possible, find artisanal Reblochon, it is rare and expensive in the US.
dksbook at 5:24PM on 01/07/08
Bistrot du Coin in DC makes a wonderful tartiflette.
SelimaCat at 7:11PM on 01/07/08
This recipe looks amazing and delicious. Thanks for sharing it.
kimblyl at 8:00PM on 01/07/08
I made something like this for New Year's Eve dinner, but it was called La Truffade and they said the only cheese to use was Cantal.
There's no stock in my recipe and you cook the potatoes in the bacon fat, but other than that, uhm, almost exactly the same thing!
theheadhen at 12:21PM on 01/08/08
A visitor brought a can of tartiflette from Carrefour (French megamart). It was delicious. As was the rabbit stew, also from a can. Sad that there nothing comparable here. Not to say that food from a can is the ideal, but food from a can can actually be very good.
renzata at 9:27PM on 01/08/08
My family in the Alps makes this for me everytime I visit- so yummy with all that cheese, bacon and cream...
laurakitty at 3:26PM on 01/09/08