Tartiflette

Oooh!  Tartiflette!  I love the name, and I love absolutely everything about this!  It's a lovely dish, a DEFINITE winter warmer, and the whole of this dish, from beginning to end is all about decadence! :D  This is definitely not a "diet-friendly" meal, in any way, shape or form.  It's originally from Haute-Savoie a tiny part of France tucked away between lake Geneva and Mont Blanc (also, incidentally, the first ever Winter Olympics were held there, in Chamonix).

This dish is such a great dish to serve with a couple of friends, it's lovely and simple, and so tasty! You could easily adapt this recipe (say, using mushrooms, or using different cheese to Reblochon) to become something that is not Tartiflette, but Tartiflette based.  I have no issue with this.  I'm sure that it would be awesome, and to be honest now I just want to try the recipe with mushrooms and Brie/Port Salut.  But that is not Tartiflette.  This is Tartiflette :)

Tartiflette!  What a great word <3

yummmm

There were some recipes that called for a glass of dry white wine to be added before baking.  Not all of them.  I honestly can't remember if put it in, but I don't seem to remember that I did.  Who knows.  

The ingredients are simple, potatoes, lardons (or in the case of Malta, pancetta), butter, onions and of course, the almighty Reblochon cheese! 

mmmmm  I shouldn't be posting this on day 3 of a diet, this is cruel to me!

Anyway here goes:

6-8 medium -med/large potatoes, waxy. (about 1-1.5 kg)
200 grams lardon, or smoked pancetta, cut into cubes.
2 small onions, or one medium, or 3-4 shallots, diced relatively finely
1 half of a reblochon cheese
Crème Fraiche
Butter
Salt, pepper

Butter a small-medium baking dish generously, ideally a ceramic one, but I used metal and it worked fine :) 

a dish.  Buttered.  -_-

Peel the potatoes and place in cold water until just covered.  Bring to the boil, then add a heap of salt (about a tablespoon), turn right down, cover and simmer until the potatoes are almost done.  If you use this method, the potatoes won't break up and get all soggy.  Once they are JUST tender (do not over boil!!) drain and allow to cool JUST enough for you to handle them.

taters taters nomnomnom

While the potatoes are boiling, heat some butter in a heavy fry pan and add the onions, sautéing until translucent.  Add the Pancetta and keep stirring until some of the fat from the Pancetta comes out into the pan.  The kitchen should smell divine.  Please avoid the temptation to nibble at this mixture, trust me, you do not want to have not enough of it to go round the potatoes! 

Once the potatoes are cool enough to just about handle, slice them into rounds, probably about 1cm thick. 

Place half the potatoes into the baking dish, covering the whole dish.
Sprinkle half the onion/pancetta mixture over these potatoes.  Season with some pepper at this point. 
Layer the rest of the potatoes on
Sprinkle with the rest of the mixture.
Stir a couple of large tablespoons of crème fraiche until smooth and easy to semi pour it off a spoon. Sprinkle this over the potatoes, not too much, just like below.

Cut the Reblochon cheese horizontally, so you end up with 2 semi circular shapes.  Place these shapes relatively in the middle of the dish, rind side down.

Oh god it looks good enough to scoff down already! mmm cheese. 

Sprinkle liberally with pepper and some salt, and place in a hot oven for about 20 minutes, until the reblochon has melted and is brown and bubbly.

Serve with a massive glass of wine, and don't bother even trying to make it healthy by putting a salad on the side.  This dish refuses to be anything but decadent! :) 

I miss it.  it was so tasty.  oh how I miss it! 

ENJOY!!! :D