Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 1000 g waxy potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Meat & Dairy
- 200 g smoked lardons
- 450 g reblochon cheese, chilled whole wheel
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 15 g unsalted butter, softened
Pantry & Liquids
- 150 ml dry white wine
- sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 876 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 58 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1786 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 30 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 165 mg
- Potassium
- 1426 mg
- Calcium
- 917 mg
- Iron
- 9.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 114 mg
- Phosphorus
- 791 mg
- Zinc
- 5.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 316 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 35 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 2.34 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.79 mg
- Niacin
- 6.6 mg
- Folate
- 103 mcg
- Water
- 395 g
- Alcohol
- 4 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Generously grease the interior of a 2-liter baking dish with the softened butter.
Place the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until just fork-tender but still firm in the center. Drain and let them cool slightly.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel the skins off using a paring knife and slice the potatoes into 1cm thick rounds.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the lardons for 5 minutes until crispy and the fat has completely rendered.
Add the sliced onions and minced garlic to the skillet with the lardons and their fat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely softened, translucent, and lightly caramelized.
Pour the white wine into the skillet to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the wine has almost entirely evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and a generous crack of black pepper.
Layer half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the onion and lardon mixture evenly over the potatoes. Repeat with a second layer of potatoes and the remaining onion mixture.
Take the whole wheel of Reblochon cheese and slice it in half horizontally to create two thin, circular discs. Place the two discs rind-side up on top of the assembled potato and onion mixture.
Bake uncovered at 200°C (400°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling vigorously around the edges, and the rind has transformed into a rich golden-brown crust.
Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow the molten cheese and potato starches to settle, preventing the layers from sliding apart.
Chef's Notes
- Reblochon has a strong, pungent aroma, but its flavor is surprisingly mild, nutty, and buttery when melted. Leave the rind on, as it provides crucial texture and a deep, savory flavor to the gratin crust.
- If authentic Reblochon is unavailable in your region, a combination of equal parts ripe Camembert (or Brie) and a good melting cheese like Gruyère, Raclette, or Fontina makes a highly respectable substitute.
- Resist the urge to aggressively salt the onions or potatoes during assembly; both the smoked lardons and the cheese contribute significant salinity to the final dish.
- The optional splash of heavy cream is not strictly traditional in the oldest recipes, but it helps emulsify the fat from the bacon and cheese, creating a silkier, more cohesive sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cover tightly to prevent the pungent cheese aroma from permeating the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180°C/350°F oven until warmed through and the cheese is bubbly again. Microwave reheating may cause the fat to separate.
Troubleshooting
The dish is excessively watery and soupy at the bottom
Cause: The wine was not reduced enough, or the potatoes absorbed too much water during boiling.
Fix: Spoon off excess liquid carefully, or let it rest uncovered for an additional 15 minutes to allow starches to absorb the moisture.
Prevention: Ensure the wine is reduced until almost dry in the pan, and always parboil potatoes with their skins intact.
Potatoes are hard and crunchy in the center
Cause: Potatoes were not parboiled sufficiently before assembling the bake.
Fix: Cover the dish with aluminum foil and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes to trap steam and finish cooking the potatoes.
Prevention: Always test the potatoes with a knife before removing them from the boiling water.
Grease pooling heavily on the surface of the cheese
Cause: Lardons released excess fat that was not drained, or the cheese split from excessive heat.
Fix: Gently blot the surface of the baked dish with a clean paper towel before serving.
Prevention: If your lardons are exceptionally fatty, drain a spoonful of the rendered fat before adding the onions.
Cultural Context
While Tartiflette feels like an ancient Alpine tradition, it was actually invented and heavily marketed in the 1980s by the Reblochon trade union to boost lagging cheese sales. The brilliant marketing succeeded, and the dish is now synonymous with French ski resort culture. It was inspired by a genuine, much older Savoyard dish called 'péla', which consisted of potatoes, onions, and cheese cooked in a long-handled skillet over an open fire.
