60mins
1.5kg Scotty Brand potatoes
1 large white onion
250g lardons
25g butter
1 garlic clove
crème fraîche
Salt and pepper
1 ripe Reblochon cheese (or an alternative – see method)
Preheat the oven to 200°C /gas mark 5.
Boil the potatoes whole, in their skins, for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, fry the onion and lardons in the butter in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat; they should sweat, but not brown. If you can’t find lardons, cut up some streaky bacon into 1cm cubes instead. If you don’t want the bacon, the dish will work fine without it.
Drain the potatoes and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slice them thinly. Some people prefer to peel them first, but you don’t need to.
Take an ovenproof dish and rub it well with the garlic. Layer half the sliced potatoes across the base, season, then scatter over the onion and bacon mixture. Add the remaining potatoes and more seasoning. Add in a little crème fraîche to stop the dish becoming dry. Be careful with the salt – the cheese will give you a salty flavour by itself.
Place the whole Reblochon on top – no need to peel off the rind. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C / gas mark 4 for a further 20—25 minutes. The Reblochon will melt and percolate all through the dish. If you can’t find Reblochon, a small Highland Brie or Camembert is an excellent alternative (about 250g). It must be a ripe, soft cheese with a strong flavour.
Tartiflette is a hearty and filling dish, originating in the mountainous Savoie region of France. Serve with a salad, gherkins and pickled onions.
