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Tartiflette

Adapted from Chez Lesley by Lesley Chesterman
The traditional cheese to use is Reblochon, which can be hard to get (and expensive) outside of France. Any semi-soft cheese with a brie- or camembert-like texture, that melts well, will work. Lesley used Oka. Reblochon is often cut in half horizontally and the pieces are placed on top of the potatoes, rind side up, and baked. Whatever semi-soft cheese you use, leave the rind on. To make it vegetarian, omit the bacon. If avoiding pork, use smoked turkey bacon.
Course Main Course
Servings 6 servings
  • 2 1/2 pounds (1,1kg) potatoes, peeled
  • salt
  • 12 ounces (350g) lardons, (thick-cut bacon cut crosswise into batons)
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3 tablespoons dry white wine or vermouth
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
  • 1 pound (450g) Reblochon or another semi-soft cheese, sliced about 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick (1,5-2cm)
  • Butter a 2-quart (2l) gratin or baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook the potatoes at a low boil until a paring knife inserted into the center meets no resistance, about 12 to 15 minutes. You want them fully cooked through but avoid overcooking them. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Put the bacon pieces in a cold skillet. Bring the heat up to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon pieces are almost crisp. (If necessary, add a bit of olive oil if your bacon doesn't have quite enough fat to keep it from sticking.) Drain the bacon onto a paper towel-covered plate.
  • Remove most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving a few teaspoons remaining for frying the onion. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are completely cooked and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the wine or vermouth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
  • Slice the potatoes and 1/2 - 3/4-inch (1,5-2cm) slices and lay half of them in a single layer in the baking dish. Season very lightly with salt (the cheese and bacon will add a fair amount of salt) and freshly ground black pepper. Strew half of the onion mixture over the potatoes and half of the bacon.
  • Arrange the remaining half of the potatoes in a single layer in the baking dish, season with salt and pepper, then finish with the remaining onions and bacon. Dribble the cream over the top, then cover with the slices of cheese in a single layer. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the cheese is melted and starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Do ahead: You can assemble the Tartiflette, minus the cheese (which may dry out) and refrigerate it until ready to bake. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Fun fact: The Tartiflette recipe from the official Reblochon website says, "You can add...white wine...and a dash of crème fraîche (cream)..." so those are variable and according to them, aren't required in Tartiflette. Just in case you're wondering.