Tartiflette

It was a truly tremendous day when we happened into Waitrose and, nestled in amongst the other special cheeses, just chillin’, was our good friend Reblochon.  Yes, cheese can be your friend.  There’s no better way to enjoy it than a French tartiflette and although I can’t confirm the authenticity of my dish, I can confirm that it tastes like the real thing to me… and I’ve been on enough French ski holidays and tried enough tartiflette to know!

The husband was excited to discover we would be having tartiflette for Sunday dinner but requested that we have it alongside a baguette ‘like Dolores did it’ and with a salad ‘like Dolores made’ – and so it was; a green salad with walnuts and French dressing (dijon mustard whisked with olive oil).  In case you’re wondering who this Dolores character is, well, Dolores is one half of our accommodating family.

Tartiflette (serves 4)

1kg new potatoes, cut into approx 1inch chunks
2 onions, diced
1 large packet lardons
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
white wine (I used almost the whole mini bottle)
100ml double cream
1 small reblochon cheese (or half a large one as Waitrose sell them)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 celcius.  Simmer potatoes in a large pan of water until almost done – I think I gave mine about 10 mins.

Meanwhile, fry your lardons in a heavy based pan (one that’s going to be large enough to take all your potatoes as well).  You won’t need any oil or butter because the lardons are fatty enough already!  When the fat begins to melt you can add in the onions and fry them both until they just begin to turn golden.  Season with pepper.

Stir in the flour – you may need slightly less or more depending how much fat you have to soak up.  Next, turn down the heat to low and begin to combine the wine, inch by inch out the mini bottle until you have a lovely smooth roux (that’s sauce to you and me). 

Drain the potatoes and add to the pan, gently combining everything.  Tip half into an ovenproof dish (again, no need for greasing – enough fat already!) and dribble half the cream over, followed by slices of reblochon.  Repeat with the other half, season again with pepper, and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling on top.

Serve with a big green salad (like Dolores makes it) before heading back out onto the mountain.