Tartiflette Recipe
The moon’s in his cap, Piccadilly stands paused, ‘til the winter night’s peace erupts in applause – from the beehives on our roof to the feasting favourites in our Food Hall, Christmas is everywhere at Fortnum & Mason.
FOOD | RECIPE
Tartiflette Recipe
A long-time favourite among après-skiers, this alpine classic also makes for a hearty Christmas home supper.
Born in the ’80s, this gloriously indulgent mixture of cheese, ham (we use pancetta), onions and potatoes were actually created by the Union Interprofessional Reblochon to promote sales of its eponymous cheese.
Our top tip – don’t remove the cheese rind as it’s deeply edible, and goes gloriously crusty in the oven. Smoked streaky bacon can be substituted for pancetta and any good melting cheese for Reblochon.
Ingredients
1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into slices about 1.5cm thick
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 large Spanish onion, thinly sliced
250g pancetta, sliced into strips
4 garlic cloves, chopped
100ml dry white wine
1 bay leaf
200ml double cream
450g Reblochon cheese, cut into 5mm-thick slices (don’t remove the rind).
Method
STEP 1
Cook the sliced potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes, until just tender but not breaking up. Drain and set aside.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan (or an ovenproof dish), then add the onion and cook for 8-10 minutes until transluscent.
STEP 3
Add the pancetta and cook for another 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is cooked through and the onions have turned lightly golden.
STEP 4
Drain off any excess fat. Increase the heat, then pour the white wine into the pan and add a bay leaf. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to deglaze the pan, until the wine has reduced by about a third.
STEP 5
Add the cream and simmer until that has reduced by about a third too. Remove the pan from the heat and add the potatoes, stirring carefully to coat them with the creamy mixture – it doesn’t matter if they start to break up a little. Remove the bay leaf and season the mixture to taste.
STEP 6
Nestle about two-thirds of the chunks of cheese in among the potatoes and onions, then scatter the rest over the top.
STEP 7
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes at 180°C/Gas Mark 4, until golden brown and bubbling.
STEP 8
Leave to settle for a few minutes, then serve with a salad, or vinaigrette-dressed Little Gems, and a few cornichons to cut through the creaminess of the Reblochon.
