Suzanne’s Recipe 21 2015 – Tartiflette de Savoie

Now that we are in the grip of winter, I think longingly of the delicious cheese dishes which are so typical of the ski resorts in Savoie, in the French Alps. The melting cheese in fondues, Raclette melted in front of log fires and the flavoursome potato bake Tartiflette, are some of the most famous. I have a good stock of Reblochon de Savoie, the essential ingredient for a Tartiflette, so I decided to make one this week. This traditional dish is a creamy potato bake made with lardons (strong flavoured chunks of bacon) onions, cream and wine, then a whole Reblochon is sliced in half and placed on top of the potato bake. I used the light cream (Crème legere) from Normandie instead of the full fat cream as the dish is rich. You cook it in the oven until the cheese has melted completely over the potatoes and has turned a dark golden colour. I paired this full flavoured, creamy dish with a Hugel Riesling from Alsace as this wine has plenty of flavour to balance the strong cheesy taste of this dish.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 x 240g Reblochon from the French Market
• 1 kg potatoes
• 50g unsalted butter
• 175g lardons (bacon or salt pork) cut into small pieces
• 2 onions
• 1 garlic clove
• Ground nutmeg
• Salt and ground Black pepper to taste
• 125 ml dry white wine
• 500ml Crème legere de Normandie from the French Market

Pairing suggestion – a bottle of Hugel Riesling from Alsace from the French Market Cape Town

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175C degrees
2. Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender max 20 minutes
3. Drain the water and slice them into about 3 mm slices (I like to keep the skins off but you can also peel the potatoes if you prefer)
4. Cut the bacon into small chunks or thin slices (lardons)
5. Fry bacon gently in pan until crisp
6. Peel and slice onions finely
7. Add onions to bacon and cook gently until translucent
8. Add the wine to pan and simmer until wine has reduced
9. Add half the cream and cook for a few minutes
10. Use an oven proof baking dish that will have sufficient depth to contain the potatoes and cream without overflowing
11. Peel garlic and cut in half. Rub the baking dish with the raw garlic, then discard the garlic
12. Rub the dish with the knob of butter
13. Lay out a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom of the dish, sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg, salt and ground pepper to taste over the potato
14. Spread half the cooked bacon mixture in a layer of the potatoes
15. Repeat with another layer of potatoes and a second layer of bacon
16. Finish with a layer of potatoes
17. Pour the rest of the cream over the dish and shake slightly so it mixes in evenly
18. Lightly scrape the surface of the Reblochon to remove the dry whiteness from the surface
19. Cut the Reblochon wheel horizontally in half
20. Place the two halves, cut side down on top of the potatoes
21. Bake in the oven for up to 1 hour until the cheese has completely melted and the top is golden brown

Serve hot with a fresh green salad and crisp baguette to mop up the sauce and a glass of Riesling

Bon Appétit!