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Tartiflette
Serves 6-8
Qty Size Ingredient
Crème Fraiche
(if you want to make it yourself) *
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tbls Butter Milk
 
Tartiflette
12 oz Thick Cut Apple Smoked Bacon
3 lbs Russet Potatoes
2 lg Sweet Onions
1 lbs Reblochon Cheese **
¾ cup Crème Fraiche
½ cup Good White Wine
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a sauce pan of salted water bring potatoes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook until just barely fork tender.  Do not cook completely.  You want to be able to slice them into ¼" to ⅜" medallions after being peeled without breaking up.

Chop bacon strips into ½" chunks, place in a large sautèe pan.  Starting with a cold pan, fry bacon bits until just short of crispy, stirring frequently.  Blot or pour out at least half of the rendered bacon fat and add onions.  Diced is ok but sliced is more traditional, not too long though.  Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  Cook onions until translucent and beginning to caramelize, then add wine and deglaze the pan.

In a 2-3 quart casserole dish, use half the sliced potatoes to layer the bottom of the casserole.  Cover bottom layer with the bacon/onion mixture, then layer the rest of the potatoes over the top.  Cover top layer of the potatoes with an even coat of the Crème Fraiche.  Slice cheese and cover the entire top of the casserole.

Bake at 375º for approximately 45 minutes, on a lined sheet pan, until potatoes are fully cooked and the top of the cheese is lightly browned.  If the cheese browns prematurely, tent.  Serve hot.

Enjoy.

* Crème Fraiche can be purchased at Vermont Creamery for about $5.00US for 8oz.  Different sources will taste a little different.
Or you can make your own by adding 2 tbls of butter milk (soured milk) to 1 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream in a glass container.  Cover lightly, to keep out dust and bugs but allow air and gasses to escape, for 24-72 hours at ~70º (or 12-24 hours at 85º+) until thickened.  The longer it ferments the thicker and more tangy it will become.  Cover tightly and refrigerate to store, up to 10 days.  However, even in the fridge it will continue to ferment (slowly), increasing tanginess.

** French Reblochon Cheese is classic, however, it's not available in the US.  It's nearest cousin here in the US is Dancing Fern by Sequatchie Cove Creamery for about $35.00US!  A more reasonable substitute would be half Brie and half Gruyere.


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