Tartiflette
Tartiflette is typically a dish from Savoy in the French Alps and from the surrounding Aosta Valley. It is made with thickly sliced potatoes, reblochon cheese, small cubed lardons or lardoons and sliced white onions. A splash of white wine can be added to the dish.
The TV series I Love Cheese inspired me to prepare baked potatoes this way.
It was one of the best baked potatoes I have ever eaten!
Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 180 C| 350 F
650g/ 1.5 lb baby potatoes, scrubbed and washed in warm water
300 g/ 2/3 lb smoked meat- turkey, chicken, duck, lardons or pancetta cubes
12 roughly chopped green onions
3 garlic scrapes if in season - or a clove of garlic
3/4 cup whole milk OR sweet white wine like Muscato
300 g/ 2/3 lb reblochon, chopped into cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
85 g/ 3 oz salted butter
Smashed potatoes
In a baking tray lined with parchment, roast the baby potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes until they are tender. Remove and 'smash' adding little bits of butter all over. These should only be lightly salted.
Tartiflette
In a pan, saute` the bacon on low so the bacon releases the fat and still remains soft. Add the green onions and the finely chopped garlic scrapes, adding a dash of butter continuing to saute` for a few minutes.
Put into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Rub this with a clove of garlic all over.
Place half the reblochon cheese all over. Sprinkle it with a freshly ground melange of peppercorns—pink, green, white, and black. Put all the prepared smashed potatoes in one dish. Place the remaining reblochon cheese. Pour the milk over.
Bake for 35 minutes, until golden and crusty on top. Serve immediately.
Tips
Substitute a sweet white wine like Muscato instead of the milk if you prefer.
While traditionally, bacon is used in France, it can be substituted with duck, smoked turkey bacon, or smoked sausage as a variation.
Garlic scrapes are these garlic tubes which grow before the bulbs. They are fairly hard, hold their shape when cooked, and have a pungent taste. The tips, both at the top and the bottom are tough, and can be discarded.
When in season, fresh green garlic can be substituted. Alternatively simply rub a clove of garlic all over the serving dish before adding the rest of the ingredients.
My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on amazon.
The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022.
The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.
