Tartiflette (French Potato and Cheese Gratin)
By Steve DunnPublished on September 27, 2021
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Reblochon, the French cow's-milk cheese traditionally used in tartiflette, is unavailable in the United States, but Camembert or Taleggio make good substitutes. Other alternatives include Pont l'Évêque, Delice du Jura, and Vacherin Mont d’Or or domestic cheeses such as Jasper Hill's Harbison and Winnimere. If your cheese is very runny, chill it before cutting it and hold the pieces in the freezer until you're ready to use them. A 2-quart baking dish of any dimensions can be used in place of the 8-inch square baking dish. Serve the tartiflette with bread and a crisp green salad.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line large plate with paper towels. Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Cut Camembert in half horizontally to create 2 pieces of equal thickness. Cut each half into ¾-inch pieces.
- Place steamer basket in large saucepan. Add water to barely reach bottom of steamer and bring to boil over high heat. Add potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to medium (small wisps of steam should escape from beneath lid). Cook until potatoes are just cooked through and tip of paring knife inserted into potatoes meets little resistance, 15 to 17 minutes. Leaving potatoes in steamer, remove steamer from saucepan; set aside and let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes.
- While potatoes cool, cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and chewy-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to prepared plate; pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add thyme and garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer. Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in cream, pepper, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Add potatoes to skillet and stir gently to coat with onion mixture. Transfer half of potato mixture to prepared dish and spread into even layer. Top evenly with half of bacon. Add remaining potatoes and top evenly with remaining bacon. Arrange Camembert, rind side up, in even layer on top. Bake until bubbling and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top each serving with spoonful of crème fraîche, if using.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For this luscious potato gratin, we used half-moon slices of Yukon Gold potatoes since they maintained their shape well and cooked evenly. To maximize their earthy taste, we left their skins on and steamed them. Six slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into pieces and cooked until they turned chewy-crisp, delivered meaty smokiness, and cooking a chopped onion in the bacon fat ensured that the smoky essence permeated the whole dish. Cream contributed silkiness while a splash of white wine brought welcome acidity to temper the gratin's richness. Finally, topping the potatoes with cubes of a ripe, semisoft cow's-milk cheese such as Camembert evoked the flavor of Reblochon, the French cheese traditionally used in tartiflette. A quick stint in a hot oven melted the cheese, enveloping the dish in a melty, creamy blanket.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Reblochon, the French cow's-milk cheese traditionally used in tartiflette, is unavailable in the United States, but Camembert or Taleggio make good substitutes. Other alternatives include Pont l'Évêque, Delice du Jura, and Vacherin Mont d’Or or domestic cheeses such as Jasper Hill's Harbison and Winnimere. If your cheese is very runny, chill it before cutting it and hold the pieces in the freezer until you're ready to use them. A 2-quart baking dish of any dimensions can be used in place of the 8-inch square baking dish. Serve the tartiflette with bread and a crisp green salad.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line large plate with paper towels. Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Cut Camembert in half horizontally to create 2 pieces of equal thickness. Cut each half into ¾-inch pieces.
- Place steamer basket in large saucepan. Add water to barely reach bottom of steamer and bring to boil over high heat. Add potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to medium (small wisps of steam should escape from beneath lid). Cook until potatoes are just cooked through and tip of paring knife inserted into potatoes meets little resistance, 15 to 17 minutes. Leaving potatoes in steamer, remove steamer from saucepan; set aside and let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes.
- While potatoes cool, cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and chewy-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to prepared plate; pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add thyme and garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer. Add wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in cream, pepper, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Add potatoes to skillet and stir gently to coat with onion mixture. Transfer half of potato mixture to prepared dish and spread into even layer. Top evenly with half of bacon. Add remaining potatoes and top evenly with remaining bacon. Arrange Camembert, rind side up, in even layer on top. Bake until bubbling and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top each serving with spoonful of crème fraîche, if using.
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