Tartiflette

Tartiflette is the specialty of France’s Haute-Savoie region. The AOC cheese reblochon, a rich raw-milk, washed-rind cheese, forms the basis of this oven dish. Apparently, tartiflette was invented by French farmers in the 1980s to use up surplus cheese. A brilliant idea, because from that moment on, tartiflette could be found on every menu in the Savoyard winter sports region as traditional mountain fare. Not so romantic, but delicious!

The mighty—but oh so delicious—tartiflette oven dish consists of potatoes, bacon bits, onions, cream, white wine, and reblochon. You can eat it on its own, or with some green salad and charcuterie on the side (another local spécialité). Perfect after a day of skiing or snowboarding, but it tastes just as good at home on the couch.

Choose a young reblochon fermier (the one with the green label), because only the milk of Abondance, Tarine, or Montbéliarde mountain cows is used, and the cheese comes directly from farmers in Haute-Savoie. And of course, serve it with a juicy local wine. The very best choice is Vin de Savoie Apremont, but actually all wines from that region pair perfectly well with it. Including the red Gamay and Mondeuse.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 °C.

Peel or wash the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Cover with aluminum foil and pre-cook in an oven dish with a little oil and salt for approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions—in half rings—in a frying pan with a little butter, adding the bacon bits at the end. Deglaze with a splash of wine and stir in the crème fraîche.

Cut the cheese into slices (including the rind) and add approximately one quarter to the mixture. Let it melt. Season to taste with ground pepper (and, if desired, salt and/or nutmeg).

Remove the oven dish and increase the oven temperature to 200 °C. Stir the mixture through the potato cubes, pour the remaining wine over them, and cover with the cheese slices. Return the dish to the oven (without foil!) for approximately 25 minutes. For a beautiful crust, let the dish gratinate nicely for the final 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve with some green salad, charcuterie, and a wonderfully fresh Vin de Savoie.