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Tartiflette Savoyarde, the Way They Make It in the Aravis Valley

Tartiflette

A whole Reblochon, split through its middle and laid rind-side up over waxy potatoes, smoked lardons and sweet onions deglazed with Savoie white wine. The cheese melts down through the layers while the rind blisters and browns. Molten, smoky and unapologetically rich, it is the French Alps' answer to a cold night — a main course, not a side.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lb waxy potatoes Roseval, Charlotte or Belle de Fontenay; peeled
  • 10 oz smoked lardons diced cured pork belly, about 1/4 inch dice
  • 2 large onions finely sliced
  • 0.5 cup dry Savoie white wine Apremont, Chignin or Roussette de Savoie
  • 1 whole Reblochon de Savoie AOP about 1 lb, fermier if you can find it, rind left on
  • 1 clove garlic halved, for rubbing the dish
  • 1 tsp salt plus more for the potato water
  • 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper generous
  • 0.25 tsp grated nutmeg freshly grated

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot for boiling the potatoes
  • 1 heavy skillet cast iron preferred
  • 1 earthenware or cast-iron gratin dish about 9x13 inch
  • 1 Sharp knife for splitting the cheese

Method
 

  1. Take the Reblochon out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while you work. It melts far more evenly when it is not fridge-cold.
  2. Put the peeled potatoes whole into a large pot, cover with cold water, salt it well, and bring to a boil. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, until a knife slides into the center with only slight resistance. They should be just tender, never falling apart. Drain and let them steam dry in the colander for 5 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  4. While the potatoes cool, put the lardons in a cold heavy skillet and set it over medium heat. Let the fat render out slowly for 5 to 6 minutes, then raise the heat and cook until the edges are browned and crisp, about 4 minutes more. Add no oil or butter: the pork gives you all the fat you need.
  5. Add the sliced onions to the skillet with the lardons and their fat. Lower the heat and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions are soft, golden and sweet. Do not rush this into a hard browning.
  6. Pour in the white wine, scrape the bottom of the pan clean, and let it bubble down until the pan is nearly dry, about 3 minutes. Season with the black pepper and nutmeg. Taste before adding salt, as the lardons are already salty.
  7. Slice the drained potatoes into thick rounds, about 1/2 inch. Rub the inside of the gratin dish all over with the cut garlic clove.
  8. Lay half the potatoes across the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Spoon over half the onion and lardon mixture with its juices. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and the rest of the onions and lardons, and press the surface flat with the back of a spoon.
  9. Lay the Reblochon flat on a board and slice it horizontally through its thickness, so you have two discs each with one rind side and one soft, exposed side. Place both halves on top of the gratin, rind-side up, soft side down onto the potatoes. Do not grate or cube the cheese.
  10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese has melted down through the potatoes, the edges of the dish are bubbling, and the rind on top is blistered and deep golden brown.
  11. Let the tartiflette rest 5 minutes, no longer, then bring the dish straight to the table and serve it molten, spooning down through the browned rind into the potatoes beneath.

Notes

  • Serve straight from the dish with a sharp green salad dressed in mustard vinaigrette, cornichons, and a chilled glass of Apremont or Roussette de Savoie. Savoyard charcuterie and crusty country bread on the side make it a full meal.
  • Reblochon is not negotiable. Camembert, Brie or grated Emmental make a different dish entirely, and the rind must stay on — it is what browns on top.
  • Use firm, waxy potatoes only. Floury baking potatoes collapse into mush.
  • No extra fat is needed. The lardons render enough to cook the onions.
  • Creme fraiche is a modern ski-resort addition. Add 1/3 cup dotted between the layers if you want the soupier restaurant version, but Savoyards often skip it.
  • Leftovers reheat well, covered, at 325 F for 20 minutes. It will never look as handsome the second day, but it tastes better.