I had never heard of this dish but was cruising Reddit today and went to the r/cooking subreddit. Someone asked what classic French dish he could make for his girlfriend who loved French cooking. One of the replies was “Tartiflette.” So I had to try making it. It is still a work in progress as I write this.
OK, now it’s done. Here are my thoughts. The recipe says to top it with Camembert. I think next time I will leave that out. Laura did not seem to mind, but I dislike the texture of Camembert with the skin on; it is just off-putting to me. You can certainly add it if you like. I went ahead and made this in my cast iron pan rather than the gratin pan to cut down on the number of dishes to wash. I sauted the bacon and the onions in the cast iron. Removed them and let them cool, then assembled the Tartiflette in the cast iron. Worked great and gave it a neat rustic look for serving.
Served it with a Butter Leaf Salad with Tarragon vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled
7 slices, thick center cut bacon, sliced into 1 inch strips
1 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese shredded
2 cups yellow onion sliced into half moons
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme chopped (divided)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 – 8oz wheel of Camembert
Method:
1. Boil potatoes until fork tender. Allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium high. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.
3. Remove all by 1 tbsp. of bacon fat from the pan and sauté onions in fat until soft and caramelized. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add thyme. Set aside to cool.
4. Then in a medium-sized bowl combine cream, milk, garlic, wine and salt. Set aside.
5. Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and set aside.
6. Grease a 13 x 9 oval gratin pan. Line pan with one single layer of potato slices, sprinkle a 1/3 cup of cooked bacon over the potatoes, 1/3 cup of the Gruyere cheese, 1/3 cup of onions and 1/3 cup of the milk/cream mixture. Repeat this process until you create 3 layers.
7. Slice the wheel of cheese horizontally as if cutting a hamburger bun to create a top and bottom. Then cut the wheel into quarters. You will have 8 triangles of cheese.
8. Place cheese triangles all over the top of casserole. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp of fresh thyme.
9. Bake at 400F for 35-40 mins until cheese has melted and topping is golden brown.
10. The entire dish can be pre-assembled the day before, covered and refrigerated. Then bake according to instructions listed.
