Tartiflette

Tartiflette is a magnificent dish from France that has won the hearts of gourmets around the world. At first glance, it may seem like an ordinary potato-meat casserole, but this is a deceptive impression. In fact, tartiflette is a true masterpiece that combines simplicity with sophistication of flavor.

The casserole simmers in the oven with rich cream, where each layer of potato is interspersed with juicy fried bacon. The special appeal of the dish comes from the top layer: it is adorned with an appetizing golden crust formed by reblochon cheese.

Cuisine: French.

Yield: 4 servings.

Caloric content: 243 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Preparation time: 70 minutes.

Ingredients

• pork belly or bacon – 300 g,
• white onion – 200 g,
• olive oil – 50-70 g,
• potatoes – 700 g,
• reblochon cheese or camembert – 200 g,
• any soft cheese – 100 g,
• heavy cream – 200 ml,
• salt, pepper – to taste.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients. The meat must have fat; both smoked and regular options are suitable. Reblochon cheese is seldom found in domestic stores and is quite expensive. It can be replaced with camembert cheese or another soft cheese with mold. It is also permissible to use two types of cheese. Cream with a fat content of 22 or 33 percent is suitable.

2. Chop the onion into thin feathers. Separate them from each other.

3. Cut the bacon into elongated pieces approximately 2 centimeters thick. There’s no need to mince it - after frying, there should be substantial pieces visible in the overall mass.

4. Pour oil into the skillet and lay out the meat pieces. Set the stove to medium heat.

5. Don’t fry the bacon too hard; don’t turn it into cracklings. Just melt the fat slightly.

6. Now you can add the onion.

7. Fry it until soft and with a slight change in color. Add salt and pepper to taste (other spices are not needed here, otherwise they will overpower the bright taste of the cheese). Set the skillet aside for now.

8. Slice the potatoes into rounds 5-7 millimeters thick.

9. Submerge them in boiling water and blanch until it boils – this is done to shorten the subsequent baking time in the oven. To prevent the pieces from falling apart in the water, add a tablespoon of vinegar.

10. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate.

11. Slice the reblochon or camembert cheese into pieces (thickness of about 5-7 millimeters).

12. Grate the second type of cheese coarsely.

13. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Lay the potatoes in a single layer at the bottom of a fireproof dish. Salt them.

14. Divide the meat frying in half and place one part on top.

15. Next, cover everything with another layer of potatoes, which should also be salted.

16. Distribute the remaining meat with onions. Also pour in the fat that has collected in the skillet.

17. Season everything with cream.

18. Distribute the grated cheese in a thin layer.

19. Lay the slices of reblochon or camembert on top. Place the dish with all the contents in the middle of the oven and bake for half an hour - a golden cheese crust should form.

The famous French tartiflette straight from the oven can be served at the table. A great addition to this dish is a glass of dry white wine. Tender, cream-soaked potatoes, pieces of juicy bacon, and, of course, the original taste of soft mold cheese – all this creates a magical aura of a magnificent dish.