Tartiflette
Serves 6-8
The morning after we arrived in England, we headed out bright and early, first stopping at the farmer’s market. Overwhelmed with the bounty and taking in all the new sights, sounds, tastes, and feelings of a new place - I didn’t know where to begin. I wandered around aimlessly until I spotted a stand, which now in my memory feels as if a bright beacon of light was shining down on it as if I was being directly guided to it. That light came in the form of potatoes, cream and cheese. The sign read “Tartiflette” and I suddenly knew where to start. Warm melty cheese wraps around tender potatoes, heavy cream and little salty bites of crisp lardons. To cut through the richness there’s pickles and a simple green salad on the side. A few bites of this and suddenly everything came into focus, grounding me to this new place. This moment meant so much to me that I couldn’t help but share it with our group, serving as the focal point for our final dinner together.
6 ounces lardons or thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
½ cup dry white wine
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked in salted water until nearly tender then cut into rough bite-size pieces
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces Reblochon cheese (or a mix of fontina and raclette if unavailable), cut into chunks or slices
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven or cast iron skillet set over medium heat, cook the lardons until browned and crisp. Transfer them to a plate and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
Add the onions to the pot and cook until soft and lightly golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook briefly until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until the wine reduces and the pan is nearly dry, about 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes to the pot along with the cream, chunks of cheese, a good pinch of salt, and plenty of black pepper. Stir in the lardons mixing everything together. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the potatoes are tender and the cheese has melted into a rich, creamy sauce and the top has browned in parts, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Taste and add salt to the top if needed. Serve hot, scattered with fresh parsley. Serve an assortment of pickles and a simple green salad on the side.